Boomer is thankful to roll in whatever grass we have.
I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. (Isa. 43:19)
I am trying to grow grass on the clay I call my front yard. It isn’t easy. In fact, it seems downright impossible! I’ve paid people to help. No luck. I’ve spent hours prepping and preening the ground. Nothing. It sometimes seems like my yard is a desert waste. Yet, lo and behold, quite unexpectedly, I witness life in my front yard bloom each spring: rabbits and colorful birds, butterflies and fireflies. Yes, even some green grass manages to grow for my pup, Boomer, to joyfully roll in. It may not look as I planned, but there is beauty there.
Often, how we look at the world needs to change. We can’t perceive God blessings because we are too busy focusing on our own work, expectations or fears. We blind ourselves to God’s goodness. What if we prayed with thanksgiving for what we already have? What if we looked for signs of life instead of counting the signs of death around us? What if we dared to believe that the Lord’s prayer is being fulfilled around us: that God’s name is being hallowed; that God’s will is being done; that our daily bread is being laid out before us and forgiveness is ours to accept; that God is leading us to a better future filled with blessing? This is exactly what Jesus told us is happening.
True, our current life isn’t perfect. We will stumble into brambles and be chocked by weeds at times. Yet, that’s no excuse to miss the beauty around us. Jesus is coming, and Eden will be restored. Jesus sends us signs of that hope to us each day for those with the eyes of faith to see. Even now, recognized or not, God is seeking to create new life out of desert and death.
Out of clay, God created the first humans with sacred breath. Through a small tribal people, God would introduce love to the ends of the earth. Through death on the cross, Christ’s body and blood would offer the world salvation. So, we in turn are asked to continue to expect the impossible. In the face of hunger, we are asked to feed others. Surrounded by poverty, we are asked to share what we have. Even in the deepest, darkest clay, we are to generously plant the seeds that God has given us – our time, treasure and talent – trusting God’s garden will grow.
Jeremiah once spoke for God about you saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jer. 1:5). You were planted and born with a purpose. Open your eyes! Open your heart! Open your hands! Behold the glory of God at work in and through your life!
Originally published in Messiah Lutheran’s newsletter, The Messenger (May 2016).
Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations for this article are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translation.
© 2016 The Rev. Louis Florio. All content not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author.
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