On the last day of our family road trip, we drove through a vast national park and pulled off at the final lookout before we were set to head home. It was hazy, painfully hot, and the air was filled with smoke from fires blowing in from the surrounding areas.
But as I neared the edge of a slightly nerve-wracking drop off, this Sunflower stood tall and striking against the backdrop of the hot, dry, and rocky terrain. Its radiance was, in part, because of the contrast of life, growth, and vulnerability despite the hardness of its surroundings.
God’s creation is filled with spiritual truths to encourage our hearts. And this is one of them.
Much like this lone Sunflower, God is sowing something beautiful in you amidst the harshness and difficulties of your surroundings and circumstances. He may have planted you there, but he hasn’t abandoned you there. Instead of allowing you to remain hardened and lifeless, he has given you life in him, increasingly adorning you with his character, glory, and beauty in the least likely of places.
Although you may feel keenly aware of the difficulties of living where it feels impossible to endure, he promises to sustain you and tenderly provide, even in seemingly barren places. He is growing deeper roots within you that will not only stand the test of eternity, but he’s also adorning you with beauty that’s lasting, causing others to stop and be in awe – not because of how great you are, but because of the beauty of Christ shining through you against the backdrop of a hard and rocky landscape.
Press on with the hope that God is at work in ways that you may not yet see. May your life be an example of a striking Sunflower rooted in life amidst the lifelessness of its surroundings. As you persevere in hope, you are being adorned with Christ’s beauty to a watching world that’s desperate for something lasting.
“Consider the lilies (or Sunflowers), how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” Luke 12:27
Home is around the corner,
Sarah
You connect with Sarah on Instagram here.
To read more of Sarah’s writings, you can purchase a copy of He Gives More Grace: 30 Reflections for the Ups and Downs of Motherhood, Hope When It Hurts: 30 Biblical Reflections to help you grasp God’s purpose in your suffering), Tears and Tossings (short evangelistic resource on how God carries our sorrows), or Together Through the Storms (for married couples navigating the trials of life).
Set Apart 
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