One of the joys of this time of year for me is seeing the many
brightly faced sunflowers in all their glory lined up at attention along the
roadways, gardens and farmlands. There’s
something about those yellow beauties basking in the sunshine that puts a smile
on my face. Their strong, tall stature,
their stunning, glowing faces and the fact that sunflowers produce such
abundant seed (for both bird and man) sets these plants apart from any
other! Recently, I’ve been tempted, while
driving, to pull my car over just to take a picture of these enchanting flowers, but each
time I think to do it, I realize I can’t spare the time, and vow to stop NEXT
time.
One day last week while on my way to wok, I was determined to take
the time to stop for a picture along the edge of a local farm. I smiled as I came upon the property,
anticipating the greeting I would receive from those happy sunflowers. I was just about to pull the car over when I saw and realized....the sunflowers didn’t look happy.
Their faces were downcast, even in the morning sun. Slightly disheartened, I lost interest in taking a picture and
drove on by regretting that I had not taken the time earlier in the
season to take one simple picture. I said out loud to
myself, “Aw, they’re not happy at all. They’re so sad.” And in that very moment, I sensed the Lord actually respond:
“Oh, they’re not sad – they’re just laden down with fruit." "Huh." He went on...
And in your heart, daughter, I’ve invested much fruit. You carry around inside of you, My burden for the
lives and futures of many – young and old. There are seasons when that fruit is heavy
with care, and yet heavy with hope - but heavy hope is NOT sadness. Just like those sunflowers are bowed down, so
do you bow down in prayer, even in travail because of the promise of
fruitfulness. When you pray, pray in hope.” Wow. I love it when those sorts of encounters happen seemingly out-of-the-blue over simple, everyday things. I had wanted to take a snapshot of a cheery sunflower, and instead, I received a glimpse into the heart of my Father. What a happy morning.
UPDATE 9.4.12
So apparently the Lord had more to say to me concerning those sunflowers...
Sometimes, as I drive to work, I use that time to just think things through and allow those thoughts to turn in to prayers. But this morning, as I was driving to work, I felt somewhat weighed down because of the concerns of many friends and my thoughts were sad and wearisome. As I thought of the health needs of my friends, the many crises faced by those I love, it became difficult to find words to pray. Instead, I sighed. "God, I feel like I've run out steam. I don't know what else to pray - how else to pray. How does one keep pressing in prayer when it seems like there is no favorable response?"
It's hard when faith seems distant, but the needs seem overwhelmingly desperate. I know it's not about the words I pray, but about my heart. I know God hears my prayers, but sometimes the disappointment I feel knocks the wind out of my sails, and I run out of words and hope. Hope deferred makes the heart sick, mine just felt heavy. My prayer to God became just one big question: "How does one pray on, in the face of a mocking, apparently immovable giant?"
It was at this moment that I happened by the same sunflower field I wrote of a few days ago. I slowed down to get a better look - to drink in the scene of those gloriously arrayed yellow beauties, weighed down and "pregnant" with much seed. And I sensed the Lord speak to me again ...
"Don't give up. If those flowers gave up right now - because of the weight of the burden, then those seeds wouldn't fully mature and be released. The sunflower might look like "it can't go on", but it will. It has no choice, because it's a plant. But you have a choice. I'm telling you, you have no idea what I have right around the corner. Persevere to the end, child - there is fruit I will bear in and through you - and in and through others. Stir up your faith - it's not about what you see right now, in the circumstances. I see, what you can't see - and I see a harvest. I see breakthrough. I see healing and wholeness. When you lose heart, and faith seems distant, look to Me and find strength to press on."
That encounter breathed a bit of hope into my soul as I began to pray with a cup of fresh faith and a gallon of tears, for those who desperately need a touch from the One who loves them most.
Lord Jesus, have mercy and rescue your children.
So apparently the Lord had more to say to me concerning those sunflowers...
Sometimes, as I drive to work, I use that time to just think things through and allow those thoughts to turn in to prayers. But this morning, as I was driving to work, I felt somewhat weighed down because of the concerns of many friends and my thoughts were sad and wearisome. As I thought of the health needs of my friends, the many crises faced by those I love, it became difficult to find words to pray. Instead, I sighed. "God, I feel like I've run out steam. I don't know what else to pray - how else to pray. How does one keep pressing in prayer when it seems like there is no favorable response?"
It's hard when faith seems distant, but the needs seem overwhelmingly desperate. I know it's not about the words I pray, but about my heart. I know God hears my prayers, but sometimes the disappointment I feel knocks the wind out of my sails, and I run out of words and hope. Hope deferred makes the heart sick, mine just felt heavy. My prayer to God became just one big question: "How does one pray on, in the face of a mocking, apparently immovable giant?"
It was at this moment that I happened by the same sunflower field I wrote of a few days ago. I slowed down to get a better look - to drink in the scene of those gloriously arrayed yellow beauties, weighed down and "pregnant" with much seed. And I sensed the Lord speak to me again ...
"Don't give up. If those flowers gave up right now - because of the weight of the burden, then those seeds wouldn't fully mature and be released. The sunflower might look like "it can't go on", but it will. It has no choice, because it's a plant. But you have a choice. I'm telling you, you have no idea what I have right around the corner. Persevere to the end, child - there is fruit I will bear in and through you - and in and through others. Stir up your faith - it's not about what you see right now, in the circumstances. I see, what you can't see - and I see a harvest. I see breakthrough. I see healing and wholeness. When you lose heart, and faith seems distant, look to Me and find strength to press on."
That encounter breathed a bit of hope into my soul as I began to pray with a cup of fresh faith and a gallon of tears, for those who desperately need a touch from the One who loves them most.
Lord Jesus, have mercy and rescue your children.
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