This month has proven to be a challenging one....as I walk through the peaceful park trails throughout our village, three hurricanes rage on the East Coast and fires burn relentlessly on the West Coast. In the midst of so many suffering here in our privileged West, there continues great suffering all over the world from poverty, war and natural disasters.
One of the most precious aspects of this current season of life (ie. not knowing anyone, having no spending money, and schedules being dictated by children) is that I get to go for a 5 km walk almost every morning. I have my favourite trail....this morning I could see a coyote, a road runner, the mountains, wild rabbits, and hot air balloons all at one time! You can see why I would feel very privileged in this season! I walk along a small flood plain called an arroyo near a local park. While these flood plains are almost never used, they exist to ensure that heavy rains do not infiltrate the many surrounding neighbourhoods.
In the summer, the flood plains seem dry and barren with only the most determined trees and weeds fighting for survival. However, when the monsoons hit, the depressed ground sprouts something more....they grow fast and hearty, rising well above any weed or bush. They are wild sunflowers. Juxtaposed against the brown weeds, tree bark, and few green bushes, these bright yellow sunflowers burst with radiant beauty. And they spread. You can see in the picture below that these determined sunflowers spread covering the entire arroyo and then begin to pop up in some of the harshest rocky earth. Their majesty rivals some of the missed beauty of our previous home in the Northwest.
As I gazed at God's marvellous art, He began to speak. While all creation is groaning for the coming, the relief as it were, of the Lord, God has graced the desperation with beauty. His glory is revealed despite. As I thanked Him for what some may refer to as sunflower weeds, He gave me eyes to see how those beautiful sunflowers are rays of hope in a darkened, depressed land.
With the ground barren, soil hardened, and landscape depressed, a persistent beauty emerged. This beauty is the persistent, persevering Christ follower. Like the wild sunflower, which spreads it seed giving way to hundreds....THOUSANDS of new growths gracing the skyline with beautiful blooms standing tall above the weeds below, so it is with those who follow Jesus Christ fully, without shame bringing hope to the desperate. Once sharing the hope that oozes from them, another bloom is formed, admonished and nurtured, ready to stand tall among the destitution. Despite no change in circumstance (wars still occur, hurricane winds blow, fires destroy, and sin exists), grace and joy permeate rising as a beacon of God's true nature. Hope emerges from destitution....He is good and His love endures forever....He has already overcome the darkness.
John 16: 33 tells us to take heart because He has overcome the world.
1 John 4:1 tells us that we are "dear children" and that Christ within us is greater than anything we face on earth.
Matthew 5:13 shares that we are the salt of the earth! We, as followers of Jesus, give the earth flavour and beauty!
2 Corinthians 4:9 tells us that though we suffer, we are not defeated and we carry Christ with us.
2 Corinthians 3:18 reminds us that we reflect His glory and are daily being transformed into more of His likeness.
At this time in history, there is no greater calling than to reflect the love, hope, forgiveness, grace and joy of living in peace with the Almighty God. Christ followers--be the tall, beautiful blooms that provide hope to this destitute world and multiply your growth!
Be blessed.
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