the parable of the parcel delivery

How do they do it? Do they have some sort of sixth sense? Or (more sinisterly) do they have cameras monitoring what we are doing?

What am I talking about? Delivery people. How do they know when is the most inconvenient time to call? I know it must be in their best interests not to have to take things away because they have not been able to deliver, but my experience is such that I almost suspect that they get a bonus if they are able to put a ‘sorry we missed you’ card through the door. This morning is a case in point.

Our children leave the house on school days just before 8 am. It is at this moment that a calm descends on the house. Because I was expecting a delivery I told Sally that I would wait until she could answer the door before I used the bathroom. We were on alert. We were prepared. We were waiting.

So imagine the frustration when I discovered a card on the doormat at 9.30 saying that they had attempted a delivery at 8am and nobody answered! Did they knock quietly so as not to disturb us? Grrr.

I think there’s a parable in there.

The Kingdom of God is like this: a person is waiting for a parcel to be delivered. They make sure that they are in. They watch out for the delivery van. But when they are distracted for just a few minutes the delivery person knocks on the door and when there is no answer posts a card through the door that says, “We missed you.” Nobody knows when the parcel of the Kingdom will be delivered. Make sure you are ready for it.

Be blessed, be a blessing (especially if you deliver parcels!)

A new postperson (male or female, it doesn’t matter. In fact we will call them ‘Bobby’ as that is a gender-neutral name) came to a house where there was a big sign, “Beware of the Dog”. Bobby looked over the fence and saw a large harmless looking old hound lying on the path. Then Bobby noticed the owner of the house looking out of the door.

“Is that the dog I have to beware of?” asked Bobby.

“Yup,” affirmed the owner, not wasting words.

“He doesn’t look like he could bite anyone,” said Bobby.

“Nope,” said the owner, briefly.

“So why do we have to beware of him?”

“Because until I put that sign up people coming to my door were always tripping over him.”