I returned home to a familiar obstruction at my front door: packages scattered across the stoop. They were likely deposited by an Amazon driver who probably knows my address very well. (Incidentally, as I write this, a UPS driver has just opened my gate carrying another box!)

E-commerce and technology have transformed the job market. Automation has eliminated some familiar positions, while our demand for instant fulfillment has created entirely new ones. Uber and Lyft have reshaped the taxi industry. Grubhub comforts couch potatoes by delivering ice cream and snacks. And my favorite Amazon driver protects me from perfume-spraying salespeople at department stores.

We have seen occupations change before. Many of us remember the milkman and the elevator operator. Typing pools have disappeared, while data-entry specialists have emerged. Old jobs fade, and new ones arise, but odd jobs always seem to be around. How does anyone end up doing a particular kind of work? Perhaps your own position is something you never aspired to but simply happened upon.

My latest delivery reminded me of something that happened when I was young. My brother came home and told our father, who was a printer, that a classmate’s dad made boxes for a living. I thought that sounded like a funny job, especially since the family appeared to be doing quite well. My father wisely schooled us on the importance of boxes. The more boxes businesses needed, he explained, the better the economy was doing. As a printer who used boxes every day to ship his products, Dad knew what he was talking about.

He also introduced us to something most parents probably never discussed at the dinner table: the Box Maker’s Certificate. For some strange reason, I found it fascinating to learn that corrugated boxes are rated. The next time a package arrives, look for the small circular stamp. It identifies, among other things, the box’s strength and maximum gross weight. With e-commerce continuing to grow, one odd job may have a very secure future. Looking for work? Perhaps quality assurance in the box-manufacturing industry is your calling. I don’t know the pay scale, but the job security is probably good.

This Labor Day weekend, let us give thanks for every vocation and employment opportunity, including the odd jobs that keep our lives and our economy moving. Discipleship may also seem like an odd job. There is no paycheck, no retirement plan, and no tidy job description. Yet, by God’s grace, it may be the most rewarding calling of all. So, clear your doorway of any overnight deliveries this Sunday, September 6, and come employ your worshiping skills at 9:30 AM.

Blessings,
Pastor Marc