Good morning.
I admire sunflowers. Their harvest is typically completed by this time and the oil gleaned from their seeds will be offered in products soon enough. But that isn’t why I admire sunflowers. I admire their size. I admire their beauty. I admire their…conviction. Perhaps conviction isn’t the right way to put it since plants don’t have minds to set plans in place. But what I admire is that they follow the sun, always. Throughout each day, they face the sun to start and they turn with the sun every minute of the day. Every hour of daylight they are soaking up the maximum benefit to nurture their growth and production.
What would our lives be like if we had a powerful commitment to follow the sun? Yes, I could change s-u-n to S-o-n, and that would be an important thought. But consider what it would mean to be dedicated to being like a sunflower, and to try to get the most spiritual nourishment and joy from every day.
It doesn’t take a lot of commitment to go with the flow. As it is said, even a dead fish can float down-stream. But a commitment to finding joy throughout each day is a commitment to look in the right places and to not look in those places that will rob you of the joy you need. Those places may be located in the circumstances of your day, or they may be in the people who are around you. You will most often see what you are looking for, good or bad, so be dedicated to keep facing what is joyful and right.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 gives us commands that will help us “follow the sun/Son” throughout our day: Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
That short list is a good one to keep us on track, to keep our attention to where it needs to be.
Grow in joy, peace, love, and be nourished throughout your day.
Vern