Encouragement

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Flower Power

Have you ever had a “sunflower moment”? I did recently and I think it’s worth sharing with you.

One of my favorite flowers is the sunflower. Last year my husband secretly planted the golden beauties as a “happy” for me to enjoy through the summer, and that I did!

Our lives became busy this year and the season passed without our sunflower planting. But we knew as much as we love the flowers, the inhabitants of our bird houses and feeders love the seed. So sunflower seeds became the main entrée for the birds on Baker’s Hill. I would fuss from time to time at their pickiness. Their little wings would flutter about pushing the seeds around and down, as they seemed to search for just the right one to satisfy their palate. All the while the little seeds being pushed aside and to the ground were taking root in the fertile soil below. Once again, within a few weeks, I had beautiful sunflowers at the edge of our patio.

One afternoon recently I pulled out the hose to give our surprise flowers a drink. As the sunflowers became heavy with water, they drooped downward until they were only inches from the ground. As they gradually shed the water, inch by inch, they lifted their faces again. Later in the afternoon, they stood tall and proud. As I fingered the softness
of their pedals, I realized I had something in common with this beautiful flower.

I go happily along, doing my thing, enjoying the busyness of life. Then suddenly I get a good drenching of frustrations, heartaches, serious troubles, and I bow low. The weight
seems more than I can bear. It’s only after I shed my questions of “Why me?” and my tendency toward bitterness that I am able to raise my head and continue my journey. Growing pains hurt in any stage of life. There’s never a good time to experience pain. But setbacks and hurts can make us stronger and grow us to maturity if we allow it to happen. As has been said, “Life makes us bitter or better.”

The cold blast of water to our sunflowers on that hot July afternoon was shocking and they bent low. But because of it, they grew even more beautiful and strong.

I love the way our creator can take something as fragile as a flower and remind me that all things work together for my good, if only I am willing to grow from it. Who would have ever thought sunflowers could show me anything but beauty!

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