Heart, Be A Son Follower...

Summer is fast fading into Autumn. The grass covered hills are turning to a dry, crunchy brown. The once green leaves, filled with life and beauty, are slowly fading into their varied colors of death. The air is filled with a  crisp coolness. My window, once open wide to the warm summer  breezes, which gave my room a sweet freshness, and tickled my face through the night, is now closed tight.

Even the golden red Mums are in full bloom.

It never ceases to amaze me, how fast the days slip away, into just  memories. Every time I pause to ponder over the events of the summer, I shake my head in unbelief that it has slipped away so incredibly fast! So many moments, are now in the safe keeping of many sweet memories.

One little highlight of the summer, was watching our garden grow. From the time the earth was broken up, the seeds planted and the the tiny little green sprouts poking their heads above the brown dirt, to gathering the harvest of many yummy veggies, and the many beautiful flowers that somehow ended up in vases on the kitchen table! :)

There are so many lessons to be learned in the garden! Every time I wandered out there to pull those persistent little weeds, the Lord always impressed upon my heart some simple, but yet profound lesson for the "garden" of my heart.

One thing I  watched, with increasing wonder in our garden this summer, was my mommy's favorite flower. I don't think she would ever plant a garden without planting some of them... Bright yellow Sunflowers!

I have to admit, after this Summer, they have become a part of my "favorites" list too! :)

Every time I jumped out of bed in the morning, to stretch, and peek out the window at the rising sun, those sunflowers up in the garden would always catch my eye. They always had their faces turned to the glory of the sunrise.

 At noon, when I was busy about my day, they would always be looking straight upward, to the height of the bright blue sky, looking straight into the face of the sunshine.

Then, when we would gather round for evening worships, to sing songs of praise, and listen to the words of the Lord, read to the hearing of all listening ears, those Sunflowers had their little faces turned to the west, as the sun drifted behind the hills.

These little sun followers have been an incredible inspiration to me, and have taught me so many beautiful lessons, that I shall never forget!

They have reminded me to ever keep my eyes focused on Him, trusting that He will carry me through each valley He permits me to travel through, for the purification of my Character... trusting He has a beautiful plan for my life, without me intervening with my ideas of how things should go...

Love this...
"We may keep so near to God that in every unexpected trial our thoughts may turn to God as naturally as the flower turns to the sun. The sunflower keeps its face sunward. If it is turned from the light, it will twist itself on the stem, until it lifts up its petals to the bright beams of the sun. So let everyone who has given his heart to God, turn to the Sun of Righteousness, and eagerly look up to receive the bright beams of the glory that shine in the face of Jesus." ST December 16, 1889

Yes, just plain and simply trusting Him for everything! Fixing my eyes on Him, as those tall, sturdy Sunflowers do. Never taking my eyes away to look at others, myself, or disheartening circumstances.

He brings the day every morning. He causes the moon and stars to twinkle in the night sky. He holds worlds in space. He makes this tiny, insignificant heart of mine beat every second I have had life. How could the thought ever cross my mind that He cares not for me, and my life?

This is the prayer of my heart...
"....Heart, be like the Sunflower, not only open to receive God's blessings, but constant in looking to Him."  ~Richter

Yes, heart of mine, look unto Jesus constantly, and  just trust Him.

Completely...

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2

So very soon....by His Grace, and through the the Faith that He has authored, and will finish in me, and because of ever looking unto Him, I shall too set down at the beautiful throne of God.. and shall recount the trails of this life with a smile, saying, it was soo worth it all!

And just perhaps, I shall have Sunflowers in my garden there too... =)