Sunflowers

Welcome to my first blog! This has been a year of firsts, and I am embarking on yet another adventure with blogging. You will find short stories here of practical living, parenting tips and insights, and spiritual awareness, the powerful change that Jesus can make on a life. I am so happy that you have chosen to join me.

If you don't know me, I love gardening! I have had a flower garden since I was in my 20's. (We will that right there for speculation on how many years that has been.) :) I have learned so much about life from my time with God while in the garden. You will undoubtedly be hearing more about this in the future as it is such a huge part of my life. I hope you will stay tuned.

I have never grown sunflowers. They grow 6 feet tall and take up so much space, that I have not been able to find a spot for them. But I love the spiritual analogy they bring to the table.

Sunflowers wake up with the sun... facing east. All day long their big bright happy blooms follow the sun. At the end of the day, they are facing west as the sun goes down. Their name is appropriate as they follow the sun all day.

You may have heard of my book, Secrets of the Soil. My journaled story depicts the pain as I walked through the tragedy of a failed abusive marriage. It also portrays the healing that God, and God alone, provided for me. I begin each chapter with a gardening analogy. You will find the sunflower snippet at the end of the book when I reflect on the power of forgiveness.

I focus on forgiveness here because it is something each person must face. It is a powerful concept that can destroy a life if not reckoned with. But it is hard to justify when you have been so brutally wronged. Nevertheless, none of us have endured the brutality that Jesus Christ felt. Even while hanging on the cross, He said, "Father, forgive them. For they know not what they are doing."

Several points of importance here. Jesus called out to the Father. Like the sunflower follows the sun, you cannot face forgiveness without looking to the Son of God. We are selfish people and self righteous by nature. But understanding the forgiveness of God, first for our own life, allows us to offer forgiveness to others.

Secondly, Jesus acknowledges that the people did not know what they were doing. They did not recognize Jesus as the coming Messiah. They were looking for an earthly king who would come rescue them from the cruelty of the Roman government. He did not come as they expected. This man, Jesus, the Savior, didn't look like what they envisioned.

When life does not look like what we expected, we must still be careful to stay close to Jesus. Who else do we have to turn to that can offer forgiveness, abundant life, and peace? No one. Many times we, too, must acknowledge that those who offend us just do not know what they are doing. They will never know our pain. Proverbs 14:10 reads, "Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can fully share its joy."

Many times we withhold forgiveness because we want them to pay. The cost, though, greatly impacts our life, not theirs. Let's talk more about it next time.

Blessings.