How much is enough?

I am grateful for this azalea, brought to adorn our meeting space.

I used to live in a place full of azaleas and dogwoods and daffodils, just to name a few of my favorites. But now I live in a place full of rocks and I sometimes find it hard to see God’s creative hand at work.

I have a deep appreciation for the intricacies of the desert. I recognize that it’s a delicate ecosystem and has value in and of itself. But when I’m looking for signs of God’s abundance, I don’t immediately think of heading out my back door.

But why not? There are three towering blue spruce there, spreading out their branches over the stones and the weeds. There is a tiny creek that runs through my neighborhood, meandering toward town. And in the spring (late May,) surprising little flowers spring up in the forest, bursting out of the rocky ground.

When I compare these to the lush landscape of my homeland in South Carolina, they seems small and insignificant, as far as signs of life go. But why the comparison? Abundance is a matter of perspective. Abundance can’t really be quantified. Abundance is finding life and naming it “enough.”

I’m grateful to be back on the East coast where the bulbs are peeking out all across the landscape. But I also claim that abundance can be found even in the dusty ground of Arizona. That is good news, not just for the earth, but for my life.

Blessings on your desert days, and may you find abundance that is enough.