Did you know sunflowers always face the sun? And when they can’t find the sun they turn towards each other. *cue tears*
I just learned this last week and it absolutely made my day. How fitting is this little fun fact for the crazy year we’re experiencing?! I know I needed to hear this little tidbit to keep me grounded and remind me of the important things in life. This served as a reminder for two very important actions I need to be taking.
- Constantly seek the Lord.
Our relationship with Christ is not a one and done, accept Him into your life and then move on type of deal. We must continuously build that relationship and work for it every day. He asks us to look for the light and seek the GOOD. Sometimes that’s easier said than done, but if I’ve learned one thing from my husband it’s that there’s always a sunny side. The hardest part of our faith is trusting God through the hard times, the uncertain times, dare I say the unprecedented times? But let me let you in on a little secret…these times are not uncertain in God’s eyes. He is not waiting to see what happens next. He KNOWS what happens next. So put your faith in Him and turn towards the light because it’s a lot easier to take on the hard times if we are focused on the good.
- Plant yourself in a community of sunflowers.
It is so important to surround yourself with bright, loving, and uplifting people, especially for those times when you can’t seem to find the sun yourself. You need people in your life you can turn to who will pick you up, dust you off, and help you find your way back to the light.
One of the best ways to grow deeper with Christ and strengthen your relationship with him is through the discipline of fellowship. Sharon Hodde Miller talks about this in her bible study “Nice” (which I HIGHLY recommend). In Genesis 2:18 God says that we are not meant to be alone. He wants us to have a community for accountability and encouragement. This community or garden of people is there for you for the times when you can’t find the Son; turn towards them and they can be a guiding light.
I know this may seem like a cheesy metaphor or a stretch for symbolism, but it really made an impact on me so I wanted to share with y’all too. 2020 has been a year full of unknowns, ups, downs, twists, turns, and just craziness everywhere you look. It’s times like these that I am so thankful for my faith and for the people in my life. The world we are living in is everchanging, but my God and my people are constants. They provide a solid ground for me to stand on and I am forever grateful for that. I’m also grateful for the simple truth that I found in the sunflower field that reminded me to turn towards Jesus and when I can’t find the light to lean on my people.
Xx,
Disclaimer: Turns out sunflowers do not actually turn towards each other intentionally BUT don’t let that take away from this message. Surround yourself with good people who you can turn towards when you need some extra sunshine in your life!