My neighbor’s sunflowers came in beautifully and I made a few trips to capture them in their various stages. I managed to capture dozens of pics–one is featured in Finding Love Notes, Naturally, posted a couple of weeks ago.
I decided to work with a couple of the photos yesterday–one featuring a sunflower with its “face” turned upward and the other a “downcast” flower leaning away from another that is still full of life. The photos were on my mind and I wanted to combine them with words that speak their language.
The blooms are visual reminders that when the “stuff” of life is coming at us full force, all we have to do is stand firm, “face the Sun,” and rest in the embrace of the One who is always near.
“Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus,” Sunflower PhotoArt by Me!
Sometimes, it’s necessary to face our problems “head on,” stare them down, and conquer them. At other times–when things are out of our control and bigger than we could ever imagine–we have to turn away from our struggles and focus our attention on the One who handles the insurmountable and scary situations for us. Otherwise, the worry and stress can affect our health.
“God Is Near the Broken-Hearted,” Sunflowers PhotoArt by Me!
We feel alone in such situations–it seems no one understands, can provide the comfort we need or help us manage our problems. It is imperative to know that we are not alone, that God is near, cradling us in His protective arms, and carrying us through the difficulties.
When we train our focus heavenward, our problems are placed in proper perspective, and we learn to trust the “Lover of our souls” to manage all our concerns so we can go on living and loving without distress.
I prefer to see sunflowers with a sunny disposition, but the sunflower in the second photo communicated so profoundly and beautifully the message of Psalm 34:18 that I had to capture it–even with the photo-bombing bee. The bee might seem a distraction, an annoyance even, but without bees there would be no flowers.
Wishing you a week filled with sunshine and good things…
Pics and Posts 
Chandra, thank you for this wonderful post today! These are both so beautiful, I just love what you did with them, and the words make them even more special. I LOVE the bee! Bees are life! I hope your weekend is as sunny as these wonderful images 🙂 Would make awesome postcards! Enjoy!
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Thank you, Sheila! That was the intent (postcards). Now, to wait for another “moo” sale. LOL! Thanks for loving them and yes–bees are life! 😀
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These are wonderful, with favorite quotes. Well done! I’m a Kansas girl (now in VA) from birth, so sunflowers mean a lot to me.
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Thank you, Kat! Oh man, I need to get to Kansas to see the sunflower fields. One day soon–it’s not that far away! 🙂
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I think another lesson from the sunflowers might be that they require both rain and sun to grow. We don’t always want the rain but we need it. Thanks. The pics are lovely.
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Thanks, B&C! My favorite message of the sunflower is still the one attributed to Helen Keller–“Keep your face to the sunshine and you will not see the shadows. It’s what sunflowers do.”
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