It was the sunflower that did me in. All summer I had attempted to grow flowers for my garden, I am sure I started with at least 50 seeds. Some the cat dug up, some the dog destroyed, and others were attacked with the weed wacker (my poor husband’s untrained eye). I wanted a beautiful English cottage style garden, where I could sit and linger with my coffee, in the wee hours of the morning when the fog settles on the pasture. What I got, instead, was many headless plants and dirt holes.
I made one last attempt to transplant a few calendula seedlings (or so I thought) to a small patch of dirt near the house. I guarded those mere two seedlings with my life!
Today one of those flowers burst forth, and actually, it wasn’t calendula at all, it was a sunflower, a beautiful fiery red sunflower. I have no idea how this happened, but it is a gorgeous surprise. The fiery red tips almost seem to say, welcome to fall.
I quickly snapped a picture and sent it to my husband with the caption, “She opened up!”
In a lot of ways, this sunflower is a celebration of me. From a young age, I let well meaning people tell me who I was. I am naturally indecisive, so I struggled through personality test and welcomed the opinions of others, saving me from making my own decisions. Then it happened. The Creator couldn’t bear it anymore. He couldn’t watch this beautiful sunflower become disoriented and lost, robbed of true destiny. His purpose would be fulfilled. I sat many a morning just listening, not coming to ask for anything, just listening. He told me how he made me, we laughed together, and we cried together, and I began taking the shape of who I was born to be. That desire, for so long, to look like someone else faded away and the fiery sunflower emerged. “She opened up!”
There is a story my Aunt used to read to me as a child, “You are Special”. If you haven’t read the book, read it! (I have yet to read through this story without crying.) The story centers around these wooden people, one in particular struggles with identity (haven’t we all). He begins to spend time with his craftsmen and slowly the opinions of others fall to the ground and he is awakened to who he really is.
Spend time with the Master Craftsman and let him tell you who you are. I promise you won’t be disappointed, instead, you will be free. Amazing things happen with our destiny when we know who we are.
~Amanda