Over the summer, my wife and I enjoyed a sunflower in our garden that began as a spindly seedling. But with enough sunshine and water, it shot up a foot at a time. And just when we thought it was done growing, and we waited expectantly for a single flower to appear, the sunflower kept growing to a point where it reached nearly 12 feet! Stunned, and with multiple flowers starting to bloom and buds all over the plant from top to bottom, I discovered this was, in fact, a ‘King Kong’ sunflower!
Being a photographer, I snapped pictures every day of this radiant plant. Thrilled with the cheerfulness it created for my wife and me, the skyscraper sunflower toppled yesterday because of a sudden windstorm. Horrified, I nearly cried when I saw it lying on the ground like Jack’s beanstalk when just a while ago it was standing tall in all its God-given majesty.
As soon as I mentioned the wind-driven atrocity to my wife, I grabbed my pruning shears and quickly cut off every flower and bud that I could find. With urgency, I stuffed them into my watering can, pail, and a vase, hoping that in doing so, we would be able to enjoy the beautiful 6-inch flowers for at least a few more days, and the bees too!
When I told my friend, Lyn, of our plight, and because I had already been sharing photos with her, she, in her wisdom, said this. “I was just thinking about how God brings beautiful things out of tragedy. And I was thinking about your bouquet in the watering can and how beautiful it is, and how it’s kind of an example of how God brought something beautiful out of tragedy!”
Appreciating her nugget of truth, I began to think in terms of my own life and all the messy situations that God has used for good. I may not have always seen ‘the good’ when life was going sideways, but when I look back at those events that were filled with tears, heartache, and often confusion, where I would say, “God, where are you, and why is this happening to me?” I now see God’s hand in everything, and it’s then I am reminded of his profound love for me and how, when troubles come, He won’t allow anything that I, or you, experience to go to waste.
This short, yet encouraging, Bible verse is worth repeating. It’s a piece of scripture that I committed to memory decades ago, and it’s one that sustained me when things didn’t add up: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NIV)
While in the middle of a storm, it’s easy to feel alone, afraid, and often, without hope. We all have times in our lives when it feels that God has no plan and is hands-off. But I can assure you that He is right there beside you and me—holding our hands and carrying us along when we can’t see a foot in front of our faces. Jesus Christ always has a plan for our good according to His purpose, even when we don’t see it. I now see my fallen sunflower in a new light as the blossoms adorn my patio.
“But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.” (Psalms 33:11 NIV)
Paul Smyth
