More gray days; if it weren’t for the heat and humidity, I’d say it was November. That and the fact a blooming bevy of the prettiest sunflowers ever sway outside our front window. Sunflowers do not bloom in November!

Outside Our Window

For now, though, when the news of the day weighs heavy — they catch my eye startling me with their color and size, and the happy accident they are.

In late June, I stuck their seeds in on a whim, and did not sow them carefully. The seed pack had more careful instructions than I followed – a recurring theme in this autumn’s garden, eh.  I did water them faithfully, though, even before they pushed through the soil and mulch, remembering that drought tolerant doesn’t mean a plant can live without water.

Up until recently,  I worried maybe all I would have was sunflower foliage. Then overnight, the stems thickened, and shot up to the level of our roof.  Buds emerged – one, two, and many more.

Charting the growth

I was however unprepared for their color: an icy cool yellow crowning a dappled chocolate brown center.

Beauty – breathtaking beauty – especially the beauty that has God’s fingerprints all over it – restores what the day’s news depletes.

We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be. ~ C.S. Lewis

Every day the sunflowers nod and wave – uplifting my downcast heart, when news of uncertain times and unhappy people seem to dominate so many conversations.

The sunflowers’ development we are chart daily.  Consequently, these serendipitous sunflowers are the  lilies of the field this month – an August  that will be remembered for its abundance of wet, and gloomy days.*

No, the plants won’t last – but they are reminders that creation is bigger than my narrow little plot, and the Creator, an invincible Gardener.

So, I invited the first bloom to visit on my mantel, lighting up the corner of our living room, for a time.  Now, inside our living room and out, I see a fresh blessing today and in time I will have an Ebenezer.

A Visitor from Outside In

God, help me remember these memories of when can help when the how and why’s of life don’t get answered.  (Psalm 44)

All that I have seen teaches me to trust God for all I have not seen. ~Author Unknown

*Here’s a timely commentary about too much rain:

Abundant rains can lead actually to reduced yields. Soil needs water, but it also needs air. When the ground fills like a soggy sponge, it may suffocate a plant. ~ Root Rot by Mindy Belz

And a zinger from good old Martin Luther to avoid garden rot:

Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your God. —