We have a rose bush beside the driveway. I am not expert on roses; but it seems to be different from other rosebushes I have seen in the past. As I recall, most rosebushes produce flowers repeatedly during the warm weather. They also produce several flowers at once.
Since we now live in an area that rarely has frost, one might have expected this plant to produce many flowers. But it does not. This bush produces one bloom at a time. And it takes its time about it too. It seems to me that we only get three or four flowers per year from this rosebush. They always come one at a time. They develop slowly.
When the bud is full and about to blossom, my wife cuts the stem and takes it into the house. The one pictured here had been in the house several days. I should have taken the photo sooner, when it was at its best. But even a couple of days past its prime, it still looks nice.
Somehow, I think that there should be a lesson here.
Three writers, Luke, Paul, and John wrote slightly more than 70% of the New Testament. Each of them accounted for at least 20% of the total number of words.
Other writers wrote less. Some wrote much less. James, for example, wrote less than 1.5%. Jude’s percentage would be even lower. But still, their work was important and enduring. Quantity-wise, the Lord did not use them for nearly as much writing as was done by Luke, Paul, or John. But their writing was important. Their short writings have been used by God to accomplish great things. And there was more to their work than writing. God used them in other ways as well.
The same is true for us. We do not all have the same role. We do not all produce the same quantity of work. But whatever it is God has given us to do, let us do it with joy, determination, and commitment (see Eccl 9:10; 1 Cor 12:12ff).
Eswatini.