Sunday, June 25, 2006

Sunflowers








Sunflowers are not what one considers to be a dainty flower. They often grow to be 3 meters in height and are more a cluster than a single flower. Sunflowers need fertile, moist and well-drained soil just as a Christian can only grow in soil that is fertile - infused with life giving resources - and not dry, but saturated with the water of the Word, which needs to be fresh and not stagnant.

Most of the sunflower heads are turned toward the east, which is where the sun rises from. Flowers that are immature and in the bud stage will follow the sun as it crosses the sky and at night return to the direction of the east to await a sunrise. The flower grows the best in full sunlight. These are things that Christians must do to grow - keep their face to the son and stay in direct sonlight.

As the flowers mature and reach the blooming stage, though, they cease to follow the sun across the sky. The stem stiffens and freezes the flower in the Eastern direction. In this state the flower becomes loaded with seeds. The seeds are used as fruit and also can be changed into oil. This is quite a parallel to what Christ desires of us. To have fruit and be ready to be changed into oil. Often as Christians reach this place, they get set in their ways and perhaps a bit "stiff necked" toward God, just as the flower does. There are 2 types of sunflowers. One will continue to keeps it's head turned to the sky, but the other will lose it's stiffness and bow it's face toward the ground. Gardeners prefer the kind that "looks nice", but the farmer prefers the one that bows as it reduces the damage caused by the birds and the loss from disease.