I live in a very rural area of North Carolina. There’s a lot of open and wooded land. There is an area called the Game Lands. It’s government owned.
Each year, the administrators of the land plant fields in various crops. Corn, soybeans, and sunflowers seem to be frequent choices. The crops aren’t harvested, so I have to believe that the effort is to attract game to the Game Lands. I’m sure that they don’t plant stuff just for me to look at.
This year, I have thoroughly enjoyed all the sunflower fields! I love the flowers. They’re bright, yellow and grow tall. They turn their faces to the sun. They have so much hope! None of them complain about where they’re planted, who their neighbor is, that the sun is too bright or the rain too cool, that bugs landed on them or bees stole some of the nectar, There’s no competition over which is the biggest. They grow where planted and bloom in their situation to the best of their ability.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Christians had that same attitude? I think I want to be a “Sunflower Christian”. I’ll show up with a sunny attitude and grow the best I can where God has planted me. I’ll give smiles to the world around me regardless of their political beliefs, economic status, life history, or whether they’re smiling at me.
God needs more Sunflower Christians! He has enough Cactus Christians – you know, the prickly ones that may bloom occasionally, but are mostly needling others and hurting feelings. Are you a Sunflower Christian or a Cactus Christian? Are you growing where you’re planted and doing the best you can with the situation at hand? God doesn’t call us to be cacti… He calls us to be flowers. If you’re a sunflower in an ocean of cacti, don’t let it get you down. One flower blooming can brighten many days.