Life Lessons from a Sunflower

I want to share with you a pretty funny story.  Suzanne likes sunflowers so several months ago I picked up a packet of sunflower seeds (the kind that grow actual sunflowers, that is) to secretly plant them in our front yard flower garden and surprise her.  I read on the label that the sunflowers would be two feet tall.  “Perfect!” I thought, “Little miniature sunflowers will fit nicely in our garden.” 

So I planted a few dozen seeds and faithfully watered them every few days even though it took about a month to see the first green buds breaking the earth’s surface.  After another week or so, I thought, “These are getting close to two feet tall—the flowers should burst forth any day now.”  Only that’s not what happened.  The 2 feet tall stalks quickly turned into 4 feet which soon turned into 6 feet and before I knew it, these gargantuan botanical specimens were towering over me at a robust 9 feet tall!

Now, I had long since thrown away the package, but here’s what I figure must have happened.  What I thought read "the plants will be two feet in height" must have actually read "the sunflowers themselves will be two feet wide!"  Here’s a picture of our “miniature sunflowers” taken just yesterday!  If you look carefully, you can see our 4 feet high rose bushes that are now lost in our sunflower jungle!

Our heavenly Papa is a fun Father who wants to talk to us about anything and everything if we have ears to listen. In the midst of being able to laugh at myself (it’s very important that we not take ourselves too seriously!), I thought about what God has to say about sowing and reaping.

"Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life."  Gal. 6:7-8 (The Message)

Here's what I heard the Lord telling me:

Son, sowing and reaping isn't about expecting to get an immediate return.  Nor is it about getting back what you put in the ground.  You placed a few dozen seeds that fit into the palm of your hand into the ground.  You had a hopeful, expectant heart, and you thought you knew what the outcome would be. But as you waited a miracle was happening underground that you could not see.  For a time, it seemed as if nothing was happening.  Then out from the ground burst life, but not in the same measure to what you placed in the soil.  No, you received abundantly more than all you could ask or imagine. You received a full measure, pressed down, shaken together and overflowing.  You sowed sunflower seeds, so out from the ground came sunflowers, but each seed you planted produced hundreds more seeds.  This is my heart. This is my Kingdom. This is why I want my children to sow good seed--seeds of love, forgiveness and generous giving. And I will make certain that what they release will come back. When they choose to love, the love returns.  When they live a life of forgiveness, they are more readily forgiven by others. When they give with a generous heart, it comes back to them.  Not instantly. Not on the same scale.  No, I'm much better than that and you can fully trust my exceptionally good heart for you!

"So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith."

Gal. 6:9-10 (The Message)

What Time Is It?

What Time is It? By Pastor Brent Lokker Earlier today I looked up at the clock to see what time it was.  Usually when we check the time it’s because we don’t want to be late for an appointment or because we are assessing how our time management is going for the day.  If we’re being honest, we’re often trying to gauge how productive we are (As in, “Am I feeling good about myself that I’m getting enough done by this marker in the day?”). My next flow of thought went to a very old (originally 1960’s) Dr. Pepper advertising slogan, “Drink a bite to eat at 10, 2 and 4.” (I know, pretty weird, but true and obviously this slogan came out long before we knew the toxic nature of consuming so much sugar.)  Since the numbers have to do with the time of day, many Dr. Pepper clocks were made to highlight those three hours. Upon doing a little research, I found out that doctors back in the day had discovered a natural drop in energy at 10:30 am, 2:30 pm and 4:30 pm.  So I guess the logic is that if a person drains a bottle of carbonated sugar water 30 minutes beforehand, it will somehow offset the condition.  Hmmmmm… So then, this God-thought popped into my head.  Because we have a Heavenly Father who adores His children, what if each time we looked at the clock, our first thought went something like this: It’s 10 am. I’m loved at 10 am!  It’s 2 pm.  I’m loved at 2 pm!  It’s 4 pm.  I’m loved at 4 pm!  Clearly God’s love is the supernatural pick-me-up that we were born for and the only one that can offset any emotional or spiritual doldrums we might encounter along the way. The best news is that His love and affection isn't just for 10, 2 and 4, but for 5 am, Noon, 8 pm, Midnight…you get the picture.  God never turns His love off! What would happen if every single time we looked at the clock, it became a reminder of Papa’s affection for us at that precise moment? It would not only change your outlook in the moment, but it would change your day, your week, your month and your life! I’m going to get really practical here.  Most of you will read this article and think, What I great idea! and then promptly forget about it. So how about this: Put a little sticky note on at least one of your clocks that you view regularly—the one in your bedroom that you look at before you go to sleep and when you wake up.  The one in the kitchen that you glance at several times during the rushing moments to get out the door.  The one in the dashboard of your car that you glance at frequently to see if you will be on time to your destination.  Or better yet, put a sticky note on each of them that says...“I Love You!” Then when you check the time and see the note, you can remind yourself, “I’m tired this morning, but I’m loved!”  “I’m a few minutes late getting my kids to school, but I’m loved!”  “I have an appointment in 10 minutes and I’m loved!” “I have to get that report done in the next hour and I’m loved!”  “I have some time to sit and be quiet with you Lord--You say I’m loved!”  “I didn’t get all my to-do’s checked off today, but I sure am loved!” Often, during the busyness of a day, I will intentionally look for Suzanne, my wife, and affectionately embrace her saying, “If we are too busy for this, we are too busy.” Your heavenly Daddy says the same to you.  Take the time to be loved.  It’s what you were born for!