For
we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ
Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us
long ago. Ephesians 2:10
This
Christmas, in our family gift exchange, I received the
softest, sweetest robe that has ever hung on a bathroom
hook. I spent three full days luxuriating in it over New
Year's weekend. My husband received a dart board and promptly
hung it in our dining room. My son was thrilled with the
guitar equipment he received and my daughter, Lydia ,
has made full use of her new football. But none of us
has been as pleased with our gifts as my daughter, Liz,
who received a Chia Herb Garden (do not weep for her,
it is something she requested).
She
planted the seeds in four pots a few days after Christmas
and now just two weeks later, amid squeals of delight,
she is reaping the benefits of her labor. We have basil,
dill, chives, and parsley peeping through the soil. Having
this miracle take place on my kitchen window sill has
inspired the following meditation; it was not the planting
that gave my daughter so much pleasure but the emergence
of the plant.
When
we plant a seed, we give it to the soil fully expecting
the soil to give us back a flower. Unless there is a flower,
the planting of the seed does not make sense. Similarly,
when God bestows a gift, he gives it fully expecting a
return on His investment. Tagore wrote, “God waits
to win back His own flowers as gifts from man's hands.”
In
connection with that idea, I've been thinking about Muhammad
Ali (bet you didn't see that one coming). Just before
take-off on an airplane flight, the flight attendant reminded
Muhammad Ali to fasten his seatbelt. “Superman don't
need no seatbelt,” replied Ali. “Superman
don't need no airplane either,” retorted the flight
attendant. Ali fastened his seatbelt ( Bartlett 's Book
of Anecdotes).
I've
come to realize that for my gifts to reach the full growth
potential of a Chia Herb Garden , I must admit that I'm
no Superman. By “full growth potential,” I
do not mean writing a bestseller, becoming a world renowned
speaker or making a million dollars. I'm suggesting that
we rise each morning, purchase our boarding pass with
the currency of humility, get on the airplane with the
rest of the mortals and fasten ourselves to such mundane
tasks as writing an encouraging note, speaking a kind
word or paying a bill with a grateful heart. These are
the flowers in which God delights.
GK
Chesterton writes of God's fascination with the mundane,
“[Children] always say, “Do it again”;
and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly
dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult
in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough… It
is possible that God says every morning, “Do it
again,” to the sun; and every evening, “Do
it again,” to the moon. It may not be automatic
necessity that makes all daisies alike: it may be that
God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired
of making them.”
There
are billions of people on the planet today whose lives
will not be recorded on the pages of history. You and
I are probably among them, but that does not diminish
the value of the gifts God has entrusted to us. It takes
a special kind of courage to embrace our daily God-given
tasks with dignity and cheerfulness and without notoriety
or fanfare. Boredom, confusion, and anger can result when
we become disconnected from God's enjoyment of our humble
and quiet obedience.
I have
come to the conclusion that the greatest work of my life
is to continue believing that God is enthralled with me
no matter how insignificant my daily activities seem to
be. So when I am getting ready for work, shopping for
groceries or doing the dishes for what seems like the
millionth time, I'm learning that if I listen carefully
I can hear that wonder-filled, still small Voice of delight
whispering, “Do it again.”
