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「你想野地裡的百合花怎麼長起來。」（聖經馬太福音六章 28 節）
古時有一個修道士，種了一棵橄欖樹。
他禱告說：「神啊，它需要水分，好叫它柔嫩的根得吸收而長發。求你降下滋潤的甘霖。」，神就降雨下來。 他又禱告說：「神啊，我的樹需要日光，我求你給它日光。」，於是雲散雨止，神就給它日光。 他再禱告說：「神啊，現在它需要霜來堅固它的組織。」，看哪！那株幼小的植物上，果然罩上了一層薄霜。 但是到了傍晚，它死了。
於是他就去見另一個修道士，告訴他自己奇異的經歷。 那修道士回答說：「我也種了一棵小樹。看哪！現在長得多麼茂盛。我沒有為我的樹操一點心，只把它交給它的神。造它的神知道它的需要遠勝過像我這樣無知的人。所以我並不向神提出條件、建議、方法。」
「我禱告說：『神啊，你把它所需要的給它，無論是風、是雨、是霜、是雪、是日光、是甚麼……你既造它，你一定知道它，也一定會供給它。』」── 選
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"Consider the lilies, how they grow."(Matt. 6:28.)
"I NEED oil," said an ancient monk; so he planted an olive sapling. "Lord," he prayed, "it needs rain that its tender roots may drink and swell. Send gentle showers." And the lord sent gentle showers. "Lord," prayed the monk, "my tree needs sun. Send sun, I pray Thee. "And the sun shone, gilding the dripping clouds. "Now frost, my Lord, to brace its tissues," cried the monk. And behold, the little tree stood sparkling with frost, but at evening it died.
Then the monk sought the cell of a brother monk, and told his strange experience. "I, too, planted a little tree," he said, "and see! it thrives well. But I entrust my tree to its God. He who made it knows better what it needs than a man like me. I laid no condition. I fixed not ways or means.
Lord, send what it needs, 'I prayed, storm or sunshine, wind, rain, or frost. Thou hast made it and Thou dost know.'"
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