Sunflowers

I hope you read the article "Dandelions" and how I represents my life as a child and a young married wife, but as a christian the Sunflower is what I choose to represent me today.

A Sunflower faces the sun as it rises in the east and follow it across the sky until it sets in the west. It returns to the East and awaits the Sunrise. When I first heard this, I was amazed to know that this beautiful flower follows the Sun from the morning to the evening and I realized if I followed after the Son from morning to evening how my life could be beautiful for Him.

The older I have become the more I realize if I keep my life facing the Son, I will be spiritually beautiful and attractive to others and maybe I can reach someone with the gospel of Christ.

The sunflower plant only has one flower on each stem, so it is very important for reproduction that the flower faces the sun so the bees have high visibility to the plants. With this same thought, If I keep my life toward the Son, and allow his Word to refreshen my life, he will shine on me and I will be able to reach others with the precious Gospel.

And each night the sunflower returns it face towards the east, awaiting the return of the Sun the next morning. We are to Keep our eyes on the Eastern Sky awaiting the return of the Lord Jesus!

How do I Become A Son Flower?

Becoming a Son Flower is probably the easiest question to answer, it is simply, following Christ.

We must keep our selves clean before God. We must keep our selves in the Word.

When I am driving down the road and see a field of Sunflowers, they make me smile. I would say that most people feel this way too. When I see a field of sunflowers that are wilted and dead, it makes me sad. I believe this is the same in our walk with Christ. When we are looking up to him and following his Word, our joy is full and we can show others the way. There are times when I struggle with things in my life or in my past and the Lord is always there to remind me that the Joy of the Lord is my strength and If I want to be like the Sunflower, I must have the Joy of the Lord.

Nehemiah 8:10

“the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

One of my favorite things about the Sunflower is that as a young flower faces east at dawn and greets the sun, then slowly turns west as the sun moves across the sky. During the night, it slowly turns back east to begin the cycle again. But more mature sunflowers slow down and get to the point where they stop moving westward and only face the east. THIS IS SO EXCITING.

As a christian, the word of God tells us to keep our eyes towards the East, because one day when Christ returns for those of us that are his, he will come from the east and if I am living my life as the Sunflower, I will be watching intently.

Matthew 24:27

“For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

I am so blessed to not only to have been raised in a Christian home, but a home where I was loved and taken care of. God gave me the best parents I could ask for and I am so thankful for the Word of God that they passed down to my brothers and sisters and I. I am so thankful that not only did they take us to church, they were busy in the church. My dad was the assistant pastor of the church I grew up in for most of my childhood. My mama was a stay at home mom and home educated my siblings and I.

We didn't have all the latest “things” and we didn't have the best of everything, but my dad worked hard and gave us everything he could and for that I am extremely thankful.

He taught me how to love and how to give. My parents were some of the most self-less and giving people I had ever known. I am thankful for their love and their prayers. Without them, I don't know where I would be.

My parents always made it clear that church and God were not an option for our family. I struggled with my salvation for many years and even into my marriage. I am so thankful that my parents and my wonderful husband continued to pray for me into my adulthood. I am so thankful for the day that the Lord showed me my need for salvation and that it was more than just words, it was trusting God to be my Savior and allowing Him to be Lord of my life. I want my life to shine and I want to keep my life facing the Son as we wait his return.

So the Dandelion, its cute and its fun, But the Sunflower it is looking toward the Sun and will be ready when He comes!!

I found out something very interesting this week about the Sunflower. My husband bought me a bouquet and I put them in my vase and filled it with water. I watched over them every single day and they were so beautiful. We got to the weekend and were very busy, Saturday and Sunday flew by and Monday I realized that I hadn't even looked at my beautiful Sunflowers that I love so much. When I went to look at them, they were dry and there was not a drop of water in their vase. I have NEVER had flowers to drink the whole vase of water. But it made me realize that If I want to be like the sunflower, I must be thirsty for the water of his Word, but not just thirsty, I must drink the water. Those poor flowers were so thirsty and drank all the water they had and still they wanted more.

I do find that when I fill my life with the Word of God it makes me thirsty for more. If I keep my life full with the Word of God and my face toward the son. I will be a beautiful Son-Flower for him.

"Lord, thank you for the Dandelions in my life that grow me and help me to be able to face the world and its troubles and trulls, but Lord let my life be as the Sunflower, I want to follow you all of my life and when you return, I want to be ready to see your face.

Thank you Lord, In Jesus Name, AMEN"