“THEN CAME THE DISCIPLES TO JESUS APART, AND SAID, WHY COULD NOT WE CAST HIM OUT? AND JESUS SAID UNTO THEM, BECAUSE OF YOUR UNBELIEF: FOR VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, IF YE HAVE FAITH AS A GRAIN OF MUSTARD SEED, YE SHALL SAY UNTO THIS MOUNTAIN, REMOVE HENCE TO YONDER PLACE; AND IT SHALL REMOVE; AND NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE UNTO YOU. HOWBEIT THIS KIND GOETH NOT OUT BUT BY PRAYER AND FASTING.” – MATTHEW 17:19-21

For a few years I’ve wanted sunflowers in my garden, but never bought the plant.  I don’t really know why.

I expressed my desire and plan for planting this year to a coworker and she told me a bird had dropped seeds in her yard that she expected to be sunflowers and would give me 3 (like my plan).

God provided sunflowers for me!

I was so excited I couldn’t stand it.  She showed up to work one morning with three baby sunflowers in a cup of water and I was so excited planted them that night in the rain.  The same night I transplanted a dying hibiscus plant into a bigger pot.

The hibiscus was strictly fed weekly with Miracle Gro and was beautiful.  A heavy rain and strong wind knocked it over last year damaging the roots and it slowly started dying.  It had grown so much and was so beautiful I did not have the heart to throw it out, but decided transplanting it in the rain while struggling with such big roots was a much better idea.  I figured I could not hurt the plant more and if so what did I lose.  I also decided to try something new and switch to an organic plant food because ‘why not’.  I had started using it on my milkweed plants before to try and turn them around for they had gotten diseased and pests were destroying caterpillars/butterflies.  I had invested too much to pull them up without trying.

As you can see from the photos all the leaves fell off so it was only insanity I kept waiting it out.  😊
Faith isn’t sane.
In the process of documenting (with hope) my hibiscus plant coming to life I also captured a sunflower whose seed fell from my bird feeder into the hibiscus planter.  I did not even notice the growing sunflower at first because I was focused on the dead hibiscus being resurrected.

After I noticed what was happening decided since the birds were not eating the bird seed would plant the sunflower seeds on my own.

I’ve always said God uses my garden to teach me and year after year that never changes.

This tiny seed that I did not intentionally plant has produced the biggest flower in my garden.  Growth has not happened without the breaking of the seed, light, rain, wind… it has grown from adversity.

When I tell you I waited what felt like FOREVER for it to grow and bloom I WAITED FOREVER.  I could not believe how big this thing had gotten.

Just like our faith.

A strong root is formed in darkness… <— another garden lesson blog post
The wind may come and shake us up… the rain may come and try to drown us out… but we have strong roots and can stand firm… like this sunflower.  What I also learned in watching my sunflowers is during the growth process and before it blooms the bud always faces the sun.
Sunflowers always face the sun: “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand for ever…”
In the morning it faces East and in the evening it will be facing West because it follows the sun.  As Christians we follow The Son.  He is there through every trial and growth process.  He’s there when the wind comes to try to knock us off our feet.  He’s there in the rain when we can’t see and it is dreary and dark.  The rain brings healing and washes things away.
Freedom is found when we lay our burdens down. Confess your sins one to another…

“WHEREIN YE GREATLY REJOICE, THOUGH NOW FOR A SEASON, IF NEED BE, YE ARE IN HEAVINESS THROUGH MANIFOLD TEMPTATIONS: THAT THE TRIAL OF YOUR FAITH, BEING MUCH MORE PRECIOUS THAN OF GOLD THAT PERISHETH, THOUGH IT BE TRIED WITH FIRE, MIGHT BE FOUND UNTO PRAISE AND HONOUR AND GLORY AT THE APPEARING OF JESUS CHRIST: WHOM HAVING NOT SEEN, YE LOVE; IN WHOM, THOUGH NOW YE SEE HIM NOT, YET BELIEVING, YE REJOICE WITH JOY UNSPEAKABLE AND FULL OF GLORY: RECEIVING THE END OF YOUR FAITH, EVEN THE SALVATION OF YOUR SOULS.” – 1 PETER 1:6-9

It’s in the waiting we learn to appreciate what we’ve prayed for.  A lot of times we don’t even get our prayers answered the way we expect.  We may have to go through a desert season or lose what we have in order for God to show up in the strangest way to give us our desire.  All I’ve done is make sure my plant is fed and watered, but God did the rest.  I did not expect it to grow so big and I did not expect a sunflower to grow in my hibiscus planter, but God answered such small prayers and let me see how good He is.
I wanted sunflowers in my garden and had no expectations for my hibiscus.

“You made your plans, but watch what I’m going to do.”

We grow from glory to glory.  To do that we must receive our daily food and be washed in the water of the word.  He is the bread of life, living water, and light of the world.  We cannot survive without Him.

He is our joy.  He is our peace.
He is our everything.

“AGAIN HE SAID UNTO ME, PROPHESY UPON THESE BONES, AND SAY UNTO THEM, O YE DRY BONES, HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD.

THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD UNTO THESE BONES; BEHOLD, I WILL CAUSE BREATH TO ENTER INTO YOU, AND YE SHALL LIVE…” – EZEKIEL 37:4-5

“THEREFORE I SAY UNTO YOU, TAKE NO THOUGHT FOR YOUR LIFE, WHAT YE SHALL EAT, OR WHAT YE SHALL DRINK; NOR YET FOR YOUR BODY, WHAT YE SHALL PUT ON. IS NOT THE LIFE MORE THAN MEAT, AND THE BODY THAN RAIMENT? BEHOLD THE FOWLS OF THE AIR: FOR THEY SOW NOT, NEITHER DO THEY REAP, NOR GATHER INTO BARNS; YET YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER FEEDETH THEM. ARE YE NOT MUCH BETTER THAN THEY?

WHICH OF YOU BY TAKING THOUGHT CAN ADD ONE CUBIT UNTO HIS STATURE? AND WHY TAKE YE THOUGHT FOR RAIMENT? CONSIDER THE LILIES OF THE FIELD, HOW THEY GROW; THEY TOIL NOT, NEITHER DO THEY SPIN: AND YET I SAY UNTO YOU, THAT EVEN SOLOMON IN ALL HIS GLORY WAS NOT ARRAYED LIKE ONE OF THESE.

WHEREFORE, IF GOD SO CLOTHE THE GRASS OF THE FIELD, WHICH TO DAY IS, AND TO MORROW IS CAST INTO THE OVEN, SHALL HE NOT MUCH MORE CLOTHE YOU, O YE OF LITTLE FAITH? THEREFORE TAKE NO THOUGHT, SAYING, WHAT SHALL WE EAT? OR, WHAT SHALL WE DRINK? OR, WHEREWITHAL SHALL WE BE CLOTHED? (FOR AFTER ALL THESE THINGS DO THE GENTILES SEEK:) FOR YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER KNOWETH THAT YE HAVE NEED OF ALL THESE THINGS.

BUT SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS; AND ALL THESE THINGS SHALL BE ADDED UNTO YOU. TAKE THEREFORE NO THOUGHT FOR THE MORROW: FOR THE MORROW SHALL TAKE THOUGHT FOR THE THINGS OF ITSELF. SUFFICIENT UNTO THE DAY IS THE EVIL THEREOF.” – MATTHEW 6:25-34

The organic plant food I used is from the company Eden Blue Gold.  They have excellent customer service and are very knowledgable.
Their website:
Eden Blue Gold Plant Solutions
Their Facebook page:
Eden Blue Gold Facebook

Everything written in this post is my own personal opinion.  I have not been sponsored or endorsed or bribed to post anything.  I am only obsessed with this product. 🙂