“And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. ” Matthew 6:28 (NRSVue)

For me, there is something about sunflowers and August that just seems to be synonymous. I am well aware that the accepted birth month flower for August is the gladiola, but ever since I saw a field of sunflowers in bloom in the late summer sun, I adopted them as my birth month flower. They begin as spindly stalks of green plants and slowly the seed pods form and the petals surround it. But as they come into full bloom, it seems hardly possible for the plant to support such a massive and seemingly heavy bloom, and yet it does. Not only does the stalk support the flower, it is flexible enough to let the flower follow the sunlight from dawn to dusk. The other thing that amazes me about these fields is that while the flowers contain seeds that birds and humans eat, I have never witnessed a field attacked by a flock of birds. It’s like they know that it is better to wait until the harvesting happens and people spread seeds out for them to feed on. Besides my amazement with how these field of flowers grow is just how they make me smile when I pass by one as I travel along the roadside. I can’t really explain why I have that reaction, but they just give me a happy feeling and an encouragement that no matter what, there is always hope. They also remind me of how Jesus taught us to not worry.

With all that is happening in the world today, the day-to-day concerns of health and well-being, the strains we experience in relationships and the moments when ends don’t meet, it is easy to fall into a pattern of worry and anxiety. Jesus understood these concerns and addressed them in such a beautiful way in the Sermon on the Mount. Like much of the discourse, Jesus flips over the worldly way in which we view and handle everyday situations. Taking care of business consumes much of our energy, as we try to figure out how to put food on the table, a roof over our heads and clothes on our back. He is not saying we shouldn’t do our part in providing for ourselves and our families. He is saying that we should not let it become so overwhelming that we lose sight of the fact that none of these provisions would happen without God providing us with the means to provide for ourselves. He does this by directing our attention to nature as an example. Birds move about from place to place to eat and rarely do we see a bird starving to death. He notes that fields are dressed with beautiful blooms that are more colorful and delightful than the finest of king’s clothing. Then He drives it home by drawing a comparison we can all grasp. If God can take care of the birds and fields He created, He can certainly take care of us, His children, created in His image.

My suggestion to you, is the next time you are feeling a bit overwhelmed, anxious or worried, take a drive in the country or a walk through a park to be reminded that God will take care of you (1Peter 5:7). There is something about sunflowers (or any other flower) that will lift your spirits. Give it a try.