O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You.
PSalm 63:1
I love sunflowers. They’re definitely my favorite flower. Thankfully, my husband knows this—as well he should, after 25 years. So, with every birthday, each Valentine’s Day, and often for no occasion at all, he’ll walk through the door with a gorgeous bouquet of these bright, festive blossoms.
It’s fairly common knowledge that sunflowers have a unique characteristic when they are young: They are heliotropic. This not-so-common term simply means that the head of the sunflower follows the arc of the sun as the sun moves across the sky throughout the day. The science behind this phenomenon is pretty cool. Basically, cells on the east side of the stem elongate during the day, turning the head gradually to the west to follow the sun. During the night, the cells on the west elongate, so the flower is facing the east in time for the sunrise.
The how is definitely interesting…but what about the why? Well, scientists identify two main reasons. First, they grow more by following the sun. The second reason is that by facing the sun more, the flowers heat up faster—and the warmth attracts pollinating bees.
Sisters, because our creative God does nothing out of chance or without purpose, we can learn a simple, yet profound, spiritual lesson from these beautiful blooms: Face the Son.
So, what does this lesson look like as we live it out? Let me break it down as a set of questions we can each ask ourselves.
- When I wake up, am I facing the new mercies of a new morning?
- Do I daily soak up life-giving rays of the Light of the world through meditating on His Word?
- Throughout the day—every day—am I keeping my eyes heavenward, knowing that this world is not my home?
- Do I make the most of the nourishment provided to me by constantly seeking its Source?
- Am I growing as much as possible through spiritual disciplines (Bible intake, prayer, worship and serving)?
Like the majestic sunflower, our purpose—the why—for this “holy heliotropism” will be evidenced by the result. When we face the Son, we will exude a warmth that attracts others. And when our spiritual demeanor is inviting to those walking through this dark world with their heads bowed to the ground, we have the opportunity to turn their eyes to the only true Source of life.
“Lord, may I keep my face toward You, so that I grow closer to You and exude an inviting warmth that impacts the lost and broken people around me.”
encouraged by grace 