Growing Toward the Son: Lessons from Sunflowers

It’s official: I have the summer doldrums. The South Louisiana heat has taken its toll on me. The dictionary defines doldrums as a period of stagnation or slump. They have even affected my writing. I’m in a slump. I haven’t wanted to move or DO anything; I want to sit in the comfort of a cool, air-conditioned home.

Until that morning…

It was early. It was a Monday morning. Not being a morning person, I rarely notice anything. Unless it’s hundreds of happy faces smiling brightly at me. They were sunflowers! Planted in a sugarcane field!

Their faces brought me so much joy. How had I missed them on the way to church yesterday? Why were they planted in the sugarcane fields?

There are several reasons cane farmers are planting sunflowers in the off-season:

• Those beautiful sunflowers shade the soil and help suppress weeds.

• The sunflowers have their own subsoil community (nematodes [worms, ugh!], bacteria, fungi, etc.) which flourishes in the thin layer of soil around the roots. This is a different subsoil community than the sugar cane roots. And this enriches the soil for cane growth.

• After harvesting the sunflowers, their stems can be left in the field. The sunflower stems mulch and enrich the soil, further supporting the cane growth.

• Young sunflower buds follow the sun, but once the flower head opens, it faces east permanently.

• They are beautiful and make people happy!

     There’s more to sunflowers than the agricultural facts, though. Here are three lessons I learned:

1. Follow the Son. So much is vying for our attention these days. So many people to “follow” on social media. But the only One we need to follow is Jesus. Sparkly things catch our eyes, distract us, and pull us away from Him. Follow Jesus. Keep your eyes on Him. “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith…” Hebrews 12:2 ESV

2. Pray through the storms. I missed the sunflowers when I passed them earlier because it was cloudy and raining. The young sunflower blooms were facing down. Their heads were “bowed.” When stormy weather comes and circumstances overwhelm us, pray. Bow your head and heart and talk to Jesus. He will calm the storm. “He (Jesus) got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.” Luke 8:24 NIV

3. Grow among the weeds. The field contained some weeds alongside the sunflowers. But the weeds didn’t stop the sunflowers from growing! The beautiful flowers continued to grow. We will face “weeds” in our lives that can choke our growth in the Lord. But the Son brings us nourishment. And God is our Gardener—He will remove any weeds that cause us to struggle in our walk with Him. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.” John 15:1 CSB

The sunflowers were beautiful and brought me great joy. But they also taught me some valuable lessons! And they encouraged me to grow sunflowers! Now I have a small square of smiling faces in my own front yard.

-What brings you joy and delight?

-When have you slowed down to notice something lately?

Grace be with you,