If you know me, (Carrie) then you know I do not have a green thumb… except when I paint.

Plants die a slow death around me. I talk to the plants. I water the plants. I tend to the plants… but they just don’t seem to respond!  But I love flowers and plants!

The story of a girl without a green thumb

Once, my husband and I were watching a movie and noticed a strange sound in the room. We had 3 foot tall cactus plants on either side of the stone fireplace hearth.

The sound was creepy!

All of a sudden, one of the cactus fell over and a dust/powdery substance flew up into the air. We starred at each other and hubby jokingly said in a very country voice, “Reckon we should have watered that cactus?” A few moments later the second cactus fell over and another plume of powder hit the air. 

Am I really the only person capable of killing 2 cacti at once?

The story only gets worse 

My lack of green thumb was so noticeable that even my kids were protective of plants around me.

One day, while entering our local Walmart, there was a display of beautifully colored tulips. My children ran in before me and threw their bodies in front of the tulips crying out, “Mom, please don’t touch. Give them a chance to live!” 

Yeah, I’ve got a couple of witty offspring! 

But this plant affliction has not stopped me from admiring and loving God’s beautiful flowers! I just stick to drawing, coloring and painting these days….. or silks from Hobby Lobby.

Flowers are works of art from God 

I have many favorite flowers, peonies, poppies, tulips, hydrangeas are just a few. But my most favorite sentimental flower is a sunflower.

We used to own 10 acres of land that butted up to a 400 acre field a farmer maintained. Every year, he would plant sunflowers on about 20 acres. I would love to watch those tall flaming crowned heads raise each morning and turn in one accord as if God moved His hand over them. It was amazing!   

Sunflowers fascinate me and inspire me for so many reasons. 

Gracefully, sunflowers stand tall and confident

Their lower leaves are heart shaped.

They have bright flaming heads crowned like royalty.

Sunflower seeds are yummy food for humans and birds.

 Because sunflowers are heliotropic,  they turn towards the sun. As they are young and growing, they move and turn to find the sun….but as mature adults, they mostly face east! 

Come to think of it, we should all be like sunflowers…. except we should be following the Son. 

We should stand tall and confident in Christ, the Son of God.

1 John 3:19-24

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 

If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 

Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 

And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.  

Rooted and established in love

Our hearts rooted and established in His love and loving others.  We should remember that we are the children of God… royalty. 

As Christians, we should feed on His Word and share it with others. 

Most importantly, as Son-followers, we should be following Him from morning to night and morning again.  

Psalm 113:1-3

Praise the LORD.Praise the LORD, you his servants; praise the name of the LORD. Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised.

Be like a sunflower…. following the Son for direction, warmth and security.

But sometimes…more than I like to admit, I’m caught up in doubt, insecurities, and fears. Somedays, I allow this wild- red curly haired- gears constantly spinning- head to forget what  James 1, reminds us:  

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. Flowers and especially sunflowers praise God by doing what they were created to do…. a display of His splendor and His crowning glory. I pray that you too follow the Son! 

Visit our freebie library for the sunflower coloring page. Check out our flower coloring pages to download and color. 

     forget Him knot!