The clouds are fluffy and white stacked on top of each other, bright white where the sun has kissed their crowns and pale grayish blue where Father Sky sketched his pastels across their bellies. I’m watching a parade of doves, four in row, bobbing their way down the sidewalk hopping over the grass in the cracks. Don’t know where they are going but they are on a mission. A wonderful breeze is blowing from a storm close by, cooling the air, pinging out a cheerful melody on the wind chimes, and making the brown magnolia leaves clack on the road as they race down the street.

The sun is so pretty, perched regally on the horizon surveying the countryside getting ready to turn the day to night. Mother Nature has brushed blueberry and vanilla watercolors across the landscape’s clouds preparing for sunset behind a curtain of fluffy velvet clouds. Father Sky and the Princess Sun are standing on the edge of the horizon dressed formerly waiting for their time to walk the runway. A bolt of lightning splits the sky and sunset begins and ends quickly as dark clouds gathers over the horizon and the thunder booms. I imagine Father Sky in a grey tuxedo and the sun in a sterling silver taffeta creation. Her long train drags the daylight down and pushes the twilight to kiss the landscape. A gentle rain falls, gathering strength with wind gusts as the night comes alive with the milky moon and the twinkling stars stepping on the pageant stage of nighttime.

The sun is such a vital part of our lives, warming the earth, driving the ocean currents and the changing seasons, making the plants grow. Life on Earth could not exist without her. I was propping up one of my large sunflowers growing under my old oak tree, planted by my bird friends, and while I was propping up the strong stem I was pondering on the beauty of a sunflower. No matter where they are planted they will turn their blooms towards the sun.

Sunflowers are such images of optimism with their towering stems and giant yellow flowers. A field of sunflowers makes you smile and marvel at their beauty. When the really large blooms hang their heads over they are me think of older grandmothers, gardening in their aprons and sun bonnets. Years ago when I had a sunflower garden my grandchildren were amazed to come outside at different times during the day to see the flowers were moving around and worshipping the sun.

The sun has healing properties and so does God. “Wherever light is, no matter how weak, these flowers will find it. And that is such an admirable things. And such a lesson in life,” Tim Firth. During difficult days we can turn our face toward God and feel his warmth and grace. God wants to carry our worries, no matter how small or how large they seem. Through our prayers we can transfer the worries from our shoulders to God’s hands. I love this quote. “What do you do for a living asked the sky to the sunflowers. I pour hope into the fainting heart whispered the sunflowers,” Bhutan Thapaliya.

Sometimes we need to stand tall and firm in our faith like the towering stems of the sunflowers. Our positivity and joy in our Christian faith can be the sunshine in others lives. No matter how cloudy our day God will find a way to light our way. Like the sunflowers turning their blooms to the warm sun we turn our faces to God seeking his loving warmth. God gives us the power to hope which gives us peace. No matter our pain or temptations, we can hold on to the hope that God gives us.

The sun is always in the sky. Even even when the clouds cover her brightness, she still shines brightly behind the clouds. God is always with us even when our uncertainty makes us feel he’s absent. He’s ever present and waiting to hear our prayers. God created the sun and like the sun, God is always with us. He lights our lives like the sun lights the world. Psalms 86:4 reads, “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. God gives light and life to everything. We need God in our lives.

“Follow the son of God as the young sunflowers follow the sunshine. Following his light and example will bring us joy, happiness, and peace.” — Quentin L. Cook