Abundance Without Interference

“Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow without laboring or weaving.” (Matt. 6:28, Aramaic Bible in Plain English)

I seem to be in a horticulture mood these days. It’s hard not to notice nature and its life lessons this time of year.

I planted some roses in my back flower beds a few years ago. Every fall, I pruned them down to about a foot from the ground and dumped a bag of mulch on them. I’d read somewhere that you have to do this to roses before winter. Every spring, I cut off the branches that looked damaged and put special fertilizer around the base. Every year, I’d gripe about all the thorns on these roses and how high maintenance these plants were. Last fall, I decided I was done babying these plants. I left them alone. To my surprise, this year the blooms are more prolific than ever before.

I wonder how many other areas of my life could benefit from being left alone. I’m always afraid of neglecting my responsibilities. Therefore, I tend to micromanage every detail. A bit of space and time might allow for more growth. Sometimes I forget to account for God’s contribution to every situation.

Right now, I’m anxious about several things that are coming up. The less control I have in any given situation, the more worried I get. The level of manic panic I feel is inversely proportional to my trust in God.

These roses, flowering in bunches, without any meddling on my part, remind me of the following truth: God’s providential grace can yield abundance regardless of my interference.