Consider the wildflowers: a Bible study
A new Monday A.M. series to start your week in God's Word
Welcome back to a new segment on Eliza Writes Things: a weekly, short “Bible study” in your email inboxes on Monday mornings, free for all subscribers! I’m going to be testing this out for the summer—if it’s a practice I reasonably have the time to craft and I see interest on y’all’s end as indicated by email opens, I’ll keep it up as a longterm series. If not, perhaps I’ll return to it another time in the future.
Please let me know if you like these as they come—your feedback is so valuable to me as I survey EWT’s forward direction!
Additionally, I want to challenge you to think of two friends who’d be blessed by reading this Bible Study and forward this email to them. This is a huge way you can support my work at EWT, and I appreciate it greatly!
“Consider how the wildflowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, 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, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!” -Luke 12:27-28
This passage, ironically, stresses me out at first glance.
We all have to wake up every day to go to work to provide for our ourselves and our families. If we didn’t, we’d no longer make money, we’d eventually run out of savings used to purchase groceries, foot utility bills, and pay rent/mortgage. After a long chain of inaction, we’d eventually pass away of starvation.
I wonder, how on earth are we supposed to not worry about providing for ourselves?
But I also wonder if this isn’t exactly the right question.
As I type this, I look over at the flower bouquet Will got me earlier this week for our wedding anniversary. I study the individual zinnia petals, short and bursting, the ranunculus unfolding gradually from within itself in a stunning ombré, the black-eyed Susan with petals back-stretching from a bold center, the marigold aflutter in crinkling, inky orange.
They just exist as they are. They simultaneously do what they are called by God to do, i.e. grow tall in the sunlight and rain, and they just exist as they are, in their own beauty He gave them.
Part of our calling from God as His children is, indeed, to take reasonably care of ourselves—we are His creation, and His creation deserves kind and generous care. But part of our calling as His children also is to receive the wonders of grace He longs to give us.
We care for ourselves, and we have hearts open to receiving Him. We labor with dignity to provide for our earthly needs, and we understand that every joy and hardship alike He permits to enter our lives is for our greatest opportunities to grow in holiness. We steward these lives He has given us, and we hold them with open hands, because we know His plans for us are better than our wildest dreams.
Again: every joy and hardship alike He permits to enter our lives is for our greatest opportunities to grow in holiness.
We could tragically die tomorrow. We could lose a loved one next month. We could become unemployed next week and struggle to feed ourselves. We could fall sick and remain sick for years. We could fall into scary mental health situations that bring us and the people we love to our knees.
Could, could, could. “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Because our lot in life isn’t about karma, or hustling up to earn good situations for ourselves, or any other gamified reward economy.
Life is about ever-growing in intimacy with the Father who loves us perfectly.
There is nothing we need that we lack, because we have Him. And if He is enough for the wildflowers, then He is enough for me.
In Him,
-Eliza
ELIZA LIKES THINGS (FLORAL VERSION)
The following are commissionable links. Shopping my recommendations and upgrading your subscription to paid are the best way you can support my writing, and I appreciate both greatly!
Love floral patterns, but not the pastels they typically come in? This coordinating blouse and skirt by Tuckernuck x Studio McGee come in a lovely bronze and cream toile. They’re made of 100% natural fiber cotton/linen blends, so you’ll stay light and cool all summer into warm southern falls. I’d throw a nude blazer on this for work, add sandals and a pearl necklace for church, and dress it up with espadrilles and my favorite jewelry for a date night with Will. Find the blouse here and skirt here.
This favorite floral Hill House dress of mine is on sale for $109, originally $179! 100% cotton, prettiest flutter sleeves, and so comfortable with the smocked bodice. It reads more blush pink than cream IRL, and the flowers look like peonies or hibiscuses. Tip: always fold your dresses with smocked or elastic straps over the hanger rod—if you hang them by the straps, they’ll stretch out. Snag this dress on sale here.
I can’t get over this cutie top and shorts set by Red Dres Boutique, an online favorite I discovered back in 2013. Both pieces are under $55, 100% cotton, and come in a lavender floral as well! Shop the top here and shorts here.
FLORAL SWIMSUIT FAVORITES
I own two notable Lands’ End one-piece swimsuits: one I’ve been wearing continually since I was 18, another since I was 20. I’m 26 now. Both saw multiple consecutive summers of hard, daily labor at the summer camp I worked at in college, throwing myself on sailboats, kayaks, and lifeguard floats. Both have no pilling whatsoever, no sagging fabric, no over-stretched elastic, and look new. They come in cute solids and patterns, have great booty coverage, and are dependable as heck. My consensus? WORTH EVERY SINGLE PENNY. See this year’s colors in their classic one-piece silhouette here.
Hermoza is a Catholic, female-founded swim and resort-wear brand that’s made great waves (ha) in the industry with their higher-coverage, high quality pieces. The ditsy floral on this swimsuit is precious, but you should check out their solids as well—so many unique one-piece silhouettes to be found! Shop Hermoza here.
This Hill House one-piece is ON SALE and in the same floral as the dress I’m wearing above!! Absolute preciousness. This discount is wonderfully steep, too! Find it here.
LET’S COMMIT IT TO MEMORY:
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Begin:
“Consider how the wildflowers grow.
They do not labor or spin…
If that is how God clothes the grass of the field,
which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire,
how much more will he clothe you?”
-Luke 12:27-28