“‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:25-30, NRSV.)
I walked the two blocks home today for lunch and was filled with an unexpected hope as I made my way up the drive. Tulip stems are starting to break through the cold soil in our planter box. I know it will be some time before they are in full bloom, but this hint of resurrection beauty provides me with some renewed energy. This winter has been especially cold and grey, and the recent sunshine feels like an old friend stopping by after a prolonged absence. Its warmth hints at what is to come in the near future and is enough to make flowers (and spirits) push against gravity and strain for something more.
I know there are days, weeks, months, and even seasons when we feel like we are stuck in the cold darkness of despair. Maybe this is why Lent starts in the bleak midwinter and concludes in the early Spring. Every grey day gets us a little closer to Holy Week and the hope for resurrection. May we all take the time to appreciate the sun when it shines and the plants as they grow. Moreover, may we trust God’s love for us is greater than the tulips, lilies, and the grass of the field. It shines on black nights, and it reminds us on grey days that Easter is coming.
In Hope and Confidence,
Pastor Dave
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Read the Gospels in 40 Days: Matthew 10-11
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