THE EXTRAVAGANCE OF NATURE

                It had rained during the night. As I walked to the office in the morning the ground was littered with seedpods from the trees. They covered the street like a blanket. I was struck by the sheer volume of them. It made me think about the extravagance of nature.

                Nature rarely, if ever settles for the minimum. Instead, nature usually produces things in abundance. The various seed pods from trees are just one example of such extravagance. There have been multiple springs when the little helicopter seeds of the maple tree have covered my driveway and clogged my gutters. In the fall, the leaves of the trees blanket the yard. In addition to seeds and leaves, flowering trees explode with colorful flowers each spring. For a short time, the flowers cover the entire tree obscuring even the leaves.

                We are not always pleased by nature’s extravagance. When it comes to things like mosquitoes, dandelions, and field mice, we could do with a little less abundance. Raking leaves and cleaning gutters is a chore. But it is a small price to pay for a lush, vivid, alive world.

                Some would relegate this abundance to purely a need for survival. The more that is produced the greater are the chances of the species surviving. Although this may be true, it misses the obvious excess even toward the need to survive. I believe the extravagance of nature is there to point us to something far greater; the extravagance of the Creator.

                God didn’t create this extravagance just to keep things going. He did it to produce awe and wonder in us. He did it to show His extravagance. He could have created a world with one kind of tree, one kind of flower, one kind of bird, one kind of animal, one kind of fish, but He did not. He created an extravagant world of extravagant diversity. He did it to reveal His own nature to us.

                The Bible continually points us to the extravagant love and grace of God. In a general sense, God demonstrates His extravagance to all of humanity, regardless of their attitude toward Him. In Matthew 5:43-45, Jesus highlights this extravagance. “You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” The extravagance of nature is God’s gift to all of humanity.

                But the extravagance of God goes even farther with those who put their faith and trust in Him. When it comes to God’s love for us, He is extremely generous. How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1a) That lavish love was demonstrated through Jesus Christ as He went all the way to the cross for us, so that we might be made right with God.

                For those who put their faith in Christ, a new extravagant life is opened up to them. As Jesus said in John 10:10, He came that we might experience life to the fullest. To live in relationship with Jesus is not to settle for the minimum, but to be invited into the extravagance of God. The extravagant love, grace, and mercy of God is available for all who will open their heart to Him through faith in Jesus.

                So the next time you see those seedpods flooding down from the trees, stop and give thanks to God for His extravagant love toward you.

Ephesians 3:20-21

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.