Everyone Got a Brownie
Going out about five o'clock,
the landowner found others standing around, and said to them,
'Why do you stand here idle all day?'
They answered, 'Because no one has hired us.'
He said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard.'
When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman,
'Summon the laborers and give them their pay,
beginning with the last and ending with the first.'
When those who had started about five o'clock came,
each received the usual daily wage.
So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more,
but each of them also got the usual wage.
And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying,
'These last ones worked only one hour,
and you have made them equal to us,
who bore the day's burden and the heat.'
He said to one of them in reply,
'My friend, I am not cheating you.
Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?
Take what is yours and go.
What if I wish to give this last one the same as you?
Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money?
Are you envious because I am generous?'
Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last."
Now that it's over, I've been telling everyone who will listen that I'm proud of myself for finishing my first 5K (since college). I finished last in my age group of 4 people, but I can confidently say that I stepped out of my comfort zone and yes, if given the opportunity, I would do it again. Looking back, I can see that this weekend has been full of rich experiences and life lessons. Here are a few of things I learned:
There's a difference between being the best and doing your best. Although I'm not a competitive person at all, I've always wanted to be the best at what I'm doing. Growing up, this generally meant academic success. I didn't want to just have straight A's; I wanted to have the highest grades in the class. If I was going to be a part of the yearbook staff, I wanted to be the editor, not just a staff member. Doing my best wasn't enough. I wanted to BE the best. There's a difference between the two and one is far more rewarding (and less taxing) than the other.
Even though some finish faster than others, we are all welcome to a brownie afterwards I got a reminder email about this race a few days before it was set to begin, and it mentioned that one of our local restaurants was providing their "famous brownies" for a post race treat. And yes, those brownies were an incentive. It didn't matter if you finished first or last. Everyone got a brownie. Sometimes it doesn't matter if you're first to finish a task. Sometimes finishing is good enough.
Don't look back. - As I was running, I saw a sign that said "What's behind you doesn't matter." There were a few moments when I was preoccupied with not finishing the race last. But when I saw that sign, I started to realize that what was behind me didn't matter as much as what was in front of me. Comparing myself to others wasn't doing me any good. It's the same in the spiritual life. Sure, I've had times in my life that I wish I could "do over" and there were moments in the race where I thought I should have slowed my pace and not been so concerned with not letting the person behind me pass me. But just like in life, I can only do something about what's ahead of me.
The Gospel comes to play out in real life. I didn't put it together when I was running, but this morning at Mass, I started to think about how much the last finishers of a race (who still get a brownie) are like the workers who began work later in the afternoon (who still get the same wage). More often than not, I've felt like the grumbling worker who has been working all day and expects more than the ones who come to work later. This morning, Msgr. Champoux pointed out that the Gospel says that the workers weren't waiting for lack of a desire for work. No one had hired them. This insight opened up a compassionate part of my heart. When was the last time that I invited someone to work in the vineyard? How would I look at life differently if I had?
Invite and accompany someone in the vineyard. When I signed up for this race, I was joining friends who had already been training for a couple of months (or more). I was behind in training, so it made complete sense that they all finished ahead of me. But what really touched my heart was when I was coming towards the end of the race and my friend (who is probably the most experienced of all of us in running) came and ran the last bit with me as soon as she saw me. She didn't have to do that. But she did. It reminded me that when encountering someone who arrives "late to the vineyard," I can do one of two things: I could grumble about them not being there for the whole time or I could greet them as brothers and sisters in Christ. I am so grateful to have a friend who teaches me how to do the latter.
As this weekend comes to a close, I come out of it feeling so grateful. I'm grateful for the opportunity to challenge myself for the sake of being healthier not only physically but spiritually, too. Life isn't always about coming on top but giving your all to be better than you were yesterday, knowing that God the Father is ever-present and willing to cheer you on along the way.
