Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Darren Milam
Wednesday, September 25, 2024
At work we have a saying: “Welcome surprises.” The sentiment behind the saying is to be OK with change and to expect the unexpected. It’s a good attitude to have when we see challenges along the way. It’s also a good reminder — WE aren’t the ones that will get us out of situations. No, for that we have a heavenly Father watching out for us. Not only is He our protector, but He also wants us to be joyful, and He provides things that allow us to smile. Here’s a great example.
About 3 months ago, we lost a dear friend to cancer. At her service, her husband had packages of seeds for people to take home. Each package didn’t describe what type of seeds it contained, and when we asked the husband, he laughed and said, “No clue, but she wanted them for people to take.” So, we took them, and we planted them. The first image you can see some shoots sprouting up with green foliage (for reference, the stalks were 8 inches in height). In the second image, the height changed a bit – more like two feet high now, but no flowers or signs of what these seeds were from (maybe some of you know already).
As you can see in the third image, we spot the start of a bud in the middle and the height is now in the 3 foor range (and growing). No need for a drumroll, as you can clearly see in the last image – it’s a sunflower starting to open. Some of the individual flowers are well over six feet tall! From tiny little mystery seeds to 75-inch gorgeous flowers. Talk about a surprise!
This example not only reminded me of God’s love for us, but also its about His plan. Clearly we didn’t want to lose our friend to a horrible disease, but we know life on this Earth is not the ultimate plan. Just like the little plants, we didn’t have any clue what they were, God knew exactly what they were. I’m certainly not saying every challenge or surprise we come into will be something we want, but I am telling you that God will help us get through it and He will provide the joy we need, at the right time.
Our friend that passed away, any guesses on what her favorite flower was? Correct – sunflowers. As they started to bloom, it certainly brought a smile to our faces. Thank you God!