For Wilshire Baptist Church
“Wildflowers in Progress, Do Not Mow.”
The sign didn’t say, “Do Not Walk,” so I parked the car and got out to see for myself, but I couldn’t see any wildflowers at all. Apparently, they were getting themselves ready down in the dirt and below the short winter grass. They were “in progress,” as the sign suggested, and I was being told to trust the sign and just be patient and wait.
I saw the sign while hanging out in Waco’s Cameron Park as LeAnn was finishing up at a conference. In case you haven’t been there, Cameron Park is a 400-acre gem on the Brazos River just northwest of downtown. Much of it is wild with winding roads and hiking trails rising to the top of rocky cliffs that offer views of the river and countryside. And tucked all around are small meadows and greenbelts and that’s where I found the sign. Dozens of them, actually, because apparently the parks department goes all out for wildflowers.
The message sort of runs counter to Jesus’ statement in the Sermon on the Mount: “And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin.” True, but apparently they may need some protection to get going each year. They may need to be left alone — protected from mowing — so the truth of their beauty can fully develop.
We know that Jesus often talked in layers, and in this case he wasn’t just talking about flowers and clothing. I think perhaps worry was the real focus. Some say worry is the opposite of faith. I don’t know if I believe that completely, because I think worry can be a helpful mode for preparation and anticipation in case things don’t go so well. Worry leads to having a Plan B ready in case Plan A doesn’t work.
Worry can be a symptom of impatience, and our impatience can lead to jumping to conclusions rather than waiting for the facts of a matter. “This isn’t working, I don’t see any progress, so I’m going to mow it down and start over.”
Impatience can lead to creating our own truth when the real truth has yet to be revealed. We’ve needed a lot of signs over the past few years that say, “Facts are in progress, do not report an outcome yet.” I have specific examples in mind, and you probably have some of your own. They span from Dallas to Chicago and Washington to Los Angeles. Allegations are treated as guilt; rumors are reported as facts. It’s really very ugly. Somehow, we’ve lost the capacity for patience. We need more of those wildflower signs to remind us to slow down and wait. The flowers – the truth – will come in time.
LeAnn and I will be back in Waco in April and I plan to make another drive though Cameron Park. I want to see those wildflowers for myself. I’m interested because we have a small patch at home where we scattered bluebonnet seeds a couple of years ago. They’ve never produced, but I don’t mow there in the spring in case this is the year that they will.