Sunflowers Follow the Sun
Happy first day of August! I took down my July 4th patriotic décor on July 21st. I was ready to display my sunflowers vignette because August is the sunflowers’ time to flourish!
Sunflowers captured my attention for this blog today! They are beautiful examples of God’s handiwork. They can reach upwards of 10 feet, with its bright yellow rounded flower standing atop its long stem. A field of hundreds or thousands is a sight to behold, like this photo I took in East Texas.
In two different settings this week, sunflowers were used as a beautiful visual that I knew I had to share with you. If the sunflower’s beauty wasn’t enough, the sunflower is unique in that first thing in the morning, it faces the sun, then it follows the sun as it moves across the sky from east to west during the day.
Doesn’t that sound like our God Who is so detailed with His creation? That illustration is of the life-giving nature of light that causes the sunflower to follow the sun in a day. It could not live without light, nor could any other plants, trees, bushes, animals OR you and me! Light is essential for our existence.
In John 8:12, Jesus describes Himself, saying: “I am the light of the world.” What does that mean? Jesus is the source of light. When He says “I am the light….”, He is communicating how He is the eternally divine, self-existent source of light to the entire world. HE IS THE LIGHT!
And, like the sunflower that faces the sun and moves with it from east to west during the day, imagine if innately and deliberately we were so fixed on our Heavenly Father, that we move throughout our days with Him in mind.
I am not a gardener by any stretch of the imagination, but the idea that God created a stationary plant that adjusts to face the sun is just astonishing to me. In addition, even when the sunlight goes away, and the world grows dark; the sunflower returns to the position where it knows the sun will return. The sunflower literally moves where it will receive warmth and nourishment; much like we do!
Hebrews 12:2 says “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” It is such an unexpected example of keeping our eyes on the One Who provides for us. We should be keeping our eyes on the Son throughout the moments of each and every day.
Remember that old song, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”? Like the sunflower following the sun, may be look full into the face of Jesus – where things of this earth grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”
When we keep our eyes upon Jesus, all the troubles of the world just aren’t that important. Our trials are dim in comparison to the LIGHT of His glory and grace. So, rather than staring at our feet or drowning in our tears, let’s remember the sunflower who is facing its source of light – just like we should be.