I hate yellow. I know we shouldn't "hate" but of all the colors in the spectrum, yellow has always been at the top of the list of colors I do not wish to wear, decorate with, or use in my bedding. Ick.... yellow.
I remember when I first moved to Montana, I lived in a tiny little town in the far northwest corner of the state. We decided to take a trip to the area we now live in. Halfway here my 5-month-pregnant-at-the-time body needed a potty break and a bite to eat. We stopped at a cute little western style old barn wood type building in the middle of no where. As we took our seats and received the menu I marveled at all the sunflowers the proprietor had decorated with. I had never seen such an array of sunflower trinkets.
Sunflowers in milk cans, on vintage plaques, and in old canning jars. They were on stuffed bears, printed on curtains, and woven around silk greenery. I must admit, at first I laughed. I thought out loud as we settled back into our car for the rest of the trip, how I would never use so many YELLOW flowers in my decor!
Have I ever mentioned how God has shown me NEVER to say "NEVER"?
Within a year I was eating my words! I had become intrigued by what I saw in that quaint little roadside restaurant. I found myself painting and crafting with these yellow beauties and over the years I have collected some darling trinkets of my own to display when the season is right.
The website remodel has brought back my love of sunflowers. When I saw the new page theme it just seemed perfect! It is a theme that is universal for the year (only in winter will it seem out of place... and even then!)
I am not a botanist but I can tell you sunflowers come in many different sizes and styles. I love versatility and functionality. I'm not usually one for fluff... I prefer functional beauty and the sunflower has it 'going on' in that category!
Now I may not agree with the Incas and South American natives who worshiped this lovely flower. But I do find another message within its shining face that says "Holy" to me...
These gargantuan annuals will no longer follow the sun across the sky, but they still require plenty of its warmth and light. Instead, their heavy heads droop slightly under their own weight to reveal a bloom resembling the sun itself (hence its name!)
I gaze upon the sunflower and I think of my heavenly father. Of how we, as His creature, with proper conditions can grow. We look to Him for our light and 'nourishment'. Our faces follow him from sun-up to sun-down, patient and knowing His Light and Warmth will sustain us through the night. As we mature and become fully grown in Him, we no longer need to turn our heads to search out His Light, we trust He is there because we feel His presence. We just as easily reflect it now by looking to others and allowing His image to reflect from us.
Oh, the happy face of a sunflower. I am so thankful for that little roadside restaurant so many years ago. I praise God that he doesn't let my "never" truly be "never"! I am warmed when I see creation reveal God's glory! I pray you can see His Glory shine too!
All sunflower images in this section are provided by Photobucket
