You Are Never Too Much for God

Orginally published at Encouragement for Today on December 19, 2022

“Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these … will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” Matthew 6:28b-30 (NKJV)

I’m so angry! I cry out to God. My chest tightens as I clutch the couch pillow.

Anger is the outside armor protecting my tender heart from the rejection I feel beneath. I want to be closer to my loved one, but fear tells me I’m just too much for them.

My lament to God continues: It’s like I’m this rose, but they see me as a cactus. So they give me the attention a cactus requires: not much. But a rose needs more. It needs shade and sun in the right amounts; it has thorns that need navigating, soil that needs nutrients and water, dead branches that need pruning.

In other words, I realize mid-prayer, roses are high maintenance, and so am I. Sigh. I can see that. It is a lot.

I am a lot.

As I sit in silence, listening for the Holy Spirit, I envision Him as the One who loves me just as I am. Oh, Lord, help me release my loved one from fulfilling a role that isn’t theirs but Yours.

God brings to mind an image of my yard full of blooming roses bursting with color, planted by previous owners years ago. They’ve never bloomed like this since we’ve lived here … until this spring. I was so taken by them — the pinks, yellows, whites, lavenders, peaches and reds in various shapes and sizes.

God, why this? I wonder. Then I feel Him speak these words tenderly to my heart:

My beloved daughter, look at those roses I have nurtured and brought to full bloom! See how I care for them exactly as they need to flourish. If I can create and nurture a gorgeous garden of roses for you to enjoy, I can nurture you just the same.

Your longing to be valued as you are is only fulfilled in Me. You are never too much for Me! I created you and will nurture you perfectly so you will flourish, but you have to come to Me. You cannot put that burden or role on anyone else. I’m the only One who knows you fully and can meet your needs. Will you let Me?

This gentle voice of God sounds a lot like the one that taught the people on a hillside long ago:

“Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these … will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:28b-30).

Those words from Jesus in Scripture jump off the page and into my heart and life as I experience them firsthand. I am not too much for God. I am deeply valued and loved just as I am.

In the days following, I wander through my yard, soaking in God’s constant reminder that He not only cares for the roses surrounding my home but also the rose inside.

Father God, thank You for the all-around-us reminders You use to speak to us that You are here, loving and nurturing us exactly as we need so we can flourish! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.