Consider the Lilies

Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. (Luke 12:27-31 ESV).

My interest and ability in gardening is only mildly remarkable, especially considering I married into a family that took gardening to the levels of “extraordinary.” My father-in-law came from a family of farmers. Raised in the fertile land of North Carolina, their main crop was tobacco, though they had large areas of vegetables they cultivated and harvested every year. I cannot remember a time visiting the Perry’s when there were not fresh vegetables served at mealtime. My father-in-law took that knowledge much further earning his Ph.D. in Plant Genetics from the University of Virginia and ultimately coming to Texas where he was renowned for his research in onions, potatoes, and tomatoes. If you like the Vidalia Onion, you may thank him as he developed that strain in his research. He could grow anything! This is that time of the year in Texas when the old windmills are surrounded by blankets of wildflowers. No one plants them; no one tends them. However, their beauty cannot be denied. God simply sees to them, and yet they are the perfect example of “alive in the field today, and thrown in the oven tomorrow” (v. 28). Our reading today takes place as Jesus sits on a mountainside teaching his easily distracted early followers and his eyes light on the splendor of nearby wild flowers. Considering them, Jesus makes a stunning comparison that ¬produces a simple and profound life lesson. In God’s garden, fretting and wearisome work are not only unnecessary but are actually a counter-¬productive insult flung in the face of our caring Creator. If God renders such beauty from nature, will he not care for you? For the next few days I want us to follow Jesus’ counsel to “consider” how we grow and are being formed in God’s garden. Although you may not feel at home in an actual garden, the beauty and glory of life have deep roots in our souls, which need to find their home in the Lord. The lesson today is simple… don’t worry. We are the work of the master gardener!