Have you ever seen a sunflower in the middle of a highway?
Its yellow face, stark against the grey city
Smiling towards the light
It is dressed in green and bathed in rain
Its petals a crown on its head
The sunflower sways and twirls at the wake of day
And the mellow of night
It needs not validation nor praise, for it knows who its Creator crafted it to be
Oh but what if I told you that you are the sunflower?
On the highway of life, you are planted
Quite so, in the middle of a concrete jungle
An unexpected place to be
You stand out, and rightfully so for you are strange and fascinating and other-worldly
Are you standing firm in your existence?
Do you trust that your maker has made you with purpose and infinite love?
For you are chosen for a time such as this
Metallic monsters roam about, and trash may be flung at your feet
Fumes, dirt, and soot for air
For its a hard place to call home
But worrying not, you lean towards the Sun, your source
Who nourishes you to bloom
Oh, and bloom, you must
Through noisy mornings and feverish evenings
No matter the passerby that tramples on your head
Nor the rotting fields or heavy winds
And never mind man’s brute
Nor the enemy’s devious games
For you, precious sunflower
You were planted to be the light of this earth
And you must radiate even among the dust
In order to show the Father’s love
And save the lost souls
And you will live amongst life’s weeds
But forget not
That you are set apart by name
The very petals on your skin are numbered
For You are fed by eternal water
And your heart is rooted in Jesus’ garden
And so like the sun, you must burn and move and open your arms
Until you are wildfire, bearing fruit no matter the weather
And no matter the gloom that surrounds you
Spread your faith and light
Beam through the ebbs and flows
And dance before your one true love
For your Creator delights in your praise
You, beautiful sunflower
Rest in this, and know that you cannot be shaken by the winds of this earth
Nor the fleeting storms and downpours.
Not when your source comes from above
Not when you share the Maker’s DNA
And not when you are planted in heavenly soil.
– Presented as a poetry reading at the 2023 Kaleidescope Women’s Conference.