Stop Worrying
And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin.”
Matthew 6:28
On the rare occasions when I was in my car during the lockdown, I actually enjoyed being on Houston roads with so little traffic. Now that everything is getting back to “normal," I again notice the noisy speeding car that jumps into the lane of traffic two cars ahead of me. That is right, she/he is breaking in line. How rude! I wonder if it is nice to be so special? I watch to see how many more people the driver will cut off.
Then I read of another athlete in his 20s who has dropped out of college to go straight into the NBA after signing a multi-year contract for many millions of dollars. What has our society come to that we think it is worth it to pay someone that much money to entertain us, but yet we do not apply the same value to teachers or nurses who may have a greater and more direct impact on our youth than this sports star?
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us to stop worrying. Jesus was advising His followers not to worry about material needs such as clothing and food, maybe even the rent or the power bill, because God would provide for them, just as He provides for the lilies in the field. Lilies represent rebirth and hope, as the resurrection does in the Christian faith. The purpose of this life, Jesus reveals, is to prepare us for the world to come.
We get many chances for gifts of grace, during our day. Special time with an animal companion, morning coffee with a friend, service to others, great conversation. Our goal is to notice these gifts when they are presented. My growth, my spiritual path, is to notice and rejoice that I can experience aging with grace, remembering the past and enjoying the present without worry.
