Is there any such thing as "Useless Work"?

I came upon Apple Seeds in 2003; this webiste provides lots of inspiring quotes, prayers, blessings, and short writings that encourage the spirit, sometimes making one laugh, and other times touchinig the soul. I came across the following item from May, 2008 - it is a wonderful little story/parable about doing useless work - I hope you enjoy it! (You can read more at http://www.appleseeds.org)

Doing Useless Work (Author/Source Unknown)

"Legend tells of a king who needed a faithful servant and had to choose between two likely candidates. He took both of them on a trial basis and told them to fill a basket with water from a nearby rain barrel, saying he would come in the evening to inspect their work. After dumping several buckets of water into a basket, one of the candidates said, "What is the good of doing this useless work? As soon as we pour water in, it just runs out the sides of the basket."

The other candidate answered, "But we have our wages, haven’t we? The use is the king’s business, not ours."

"Well, I’m not going to do such fool’s work," replied the complainer. Throwing down the bucket, he went away.

The other candidate continued until he had drained the barrel. Looking into it, he saw something shining at the bottom that proved to be a sparkling diamond. "Now I see the usefulness of pouring water into the basket!" he exclaimed. "If the bucket had brought up the diamond before the barrel was emptied, it would have been found in the basket. My work was not foolish or useless, after all."

When God’s blessing does not fully coincide with your expectations, remember to wait until the barrel is emptied. There may be something precious at the bottom."