Wildflowers

When I left campus this afternoon to head home for Easter break, traffic on the highway was at a standstill. I chose to take a new route home instead of fighting my way through all of the other cars on I-35. I ended up taking Highway 6 through Meridian, and never in my life have I been so thankful for traffic! As I drove through central Texas, I was completely overwhelmed by the beauty of the new wildflowers. Bluebonnets, Indian Paintbrushes, and millions of those tiny little yellow flowers lined both sides of the highway and carpeted the hills all around. I was reminded of Matthew 6:25-34, which says:

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

   And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

I spend an ungodly amount of time worrying about tomorrow. I make tedious to-do lists and plan out every moment of my day. I get so caught up in the rush to the destination that I forget that God is constantly placing beautiful things in front of me, telling me to slow down, be still, and worship Him. It's like the traffic today. Had I been able to just get on I-35 and book it home for the long weekend, I would have completely rushed past the beautiful things all around me. I had a very specific schedule for my day, but, as usual, God had something different, and entirely better, in mind for me. I took the long way home. There were few cars to spoil my view. The speed limits were slower, so I had time to take in the wonders that God created. Because I was off schedule, for the first time this week, I allowed myself to slow down and sit in awe of God's mighty creative powers.

It's kind of like the story of Jesus visiting Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42. Martha spent all of her time working, checking things off of her to-do list, but Mary chose to slow down and listen to the words of Jesus as He spoke. Jesus said that Mary had chosen the better thing, and it would not be taken from her. Today, as I slowed down to enjoy the flowers and listen as Jesus spoke words of love over me, I discovered the better thing. And though the flowers will fade in the coming weeks, this time spent with Jesus will never be taken from me.