The Common Sunflower

[Steven]

If you wait and look carefully you will eventually see it. Throughout the mundane hours and days, our soul pines for its source but feels lost in a sea of insignificance. It’s as if the whole of our reality is swimming in foolishness. How can I hope for spiritual heights when all I can think about revolves around the materialistic and shallow chaff that surrounds me? Yet then comes those special moments when all becomes clear, when questions find answers.

Jesus taught that through the vehicle of storytelling one can grasp onto truths that otherwise become lost. We are but small minute beings with limited patience; stories speak to our hearts, giving us the ability to cut through the noise. Jesus knew this and taught in the form of a parable or story. One thought as I have observed in my travels these last weeks going from Texas to North Dakota is to share a story about the common sunflower.

To many farmers in this central part of the United States its harvest time and many fields from North Dakota south to Texas are being harvested. Many different crops are cut for the yearly in gathering and the weather is changing. The days are becoming shorter and the trees are beginning to change. We call this time of year fall. Considering all these types of harvests it seams to me that the one plant that is most unusual is the sunflower.

From its planting and growth it has its flowery head always pointing towards the east to catch the sun. The sun in the fall is lower in the south and the flower always adjusts its growth to follow the sun. Watching the sunflower through its stages of life its head is high standing on average about 3 feet tall. At the end of its life its head is bent low as in humble consideration for what is coming and that’s the harvest.

Jesus tells us to consider the lilies of the field but I also would have you consider the sunflower this plant has a story to tell. God has given something special to the sunflower a power to follow the sun all its life and never loose the direction of the warmth from the suns rays and its life giving light. We who are Gods children have something much greater than our sun; we have “The Son” who lives inside of our hearts. Greater is he who is in thee than he who is in the world. It is the warmth of our Gods grace that give peace and Gods continued love that grows our spiritual beings as Gods daystar rises in our hearts.

Daniel 12:1-10 Matt. 13:36-4 1 Co. 15:42-58 John 8:47 Col. 1:26

The church of our Lord Jesus has purpose and that is not in a building nor programs or taking care of the poor. The real purpose for the church is written in Ep. 3:4-21 to make known the mysteries of Christ in the inner man. Daniel prophesied of the saints who will shine as the sun and this is true if Jesus is in your heart shinning out to others. Every knee will bend and every head will bow at that name Jesus Christ. Like the sunflower at the end of its days bows its head at harvest time every Christian should be humbled before a mighty God with respect and anticipation of a great harvest that’s come.

Blessings Steven