Grace springs eternal

Tall sunflower by mira66

It was a couple of nights ago when I noticed a sunflower growing outside our house, its long stem proudly springing from the small breadth of a neighboring soil. On this first night when I caught a glimpse of it, I could not quite discern if it really was a sunflower because I knew that if it was, it was such a good-weird sight to see on our street. There are hardly any flowers along our street, let alone a tall and very pretty sunflower! My mom would grow beautiful plants in our little garden, but I was certain that it was my first time to see a flower like that growing near our house. As I was approaching our gate, the sunflower shone even in the darkness of that night, and seeing it upclose as the car came to a stop instantly made me smile.

The first thing that came to my mind when I saw it was "How?." It was like experiencing something perceived to be not normal...and yet it was there. And it brought fresh feelings of happiness and awe and wonder and beauty. "How can something like this grow here?." To me, it was not normal to see a tall, yellow, sunshine-y flower growing along our street. It was just not something I was accustomed to. So in my mind, I asked with astonishment and wonder: How?

It must be our neighbor's, I finally figured out; but still, the thought of something this beautiful ever growing just now near our home was new to me. And everytime I will see it, I am as giddy and as amazed like a little child! As I was driving home today from a recollection, I saw the sunflower again, this time, in full daylight. And my my did I discover that it was not just one sunflower but three sunflowers! They have long majestic stems that stretch from the soil, they almost look like some kind of guards welcoming me as I approached our gate. They looked so vibrant and arresting, I could hear the kid in me exclaiming with joy for such beauty. They were so beautiful.

Clearly, I have a thing for understated elegance in almost anything I see. I try to find what's good and pretty in, say, an old piece of furniture that looks seemingly useless, or a vintage dress that looks too outdated and impossible for any mending. I believe that there is a message and a lesson to be taken home from everything in life that we encounter.

These sunflowers, I believe, emphasize the everyday miracles that I have experienced since I have taken the time to live in constant gratitude to the creator of all things beautiful. I cannot even express in words how fulfilling it feels to wake up each day excited for another discovery and another validation of how, indeed, life is beautiful. :)

I figured that the night I first saw the sunflower speaks so much about how, even in the dark, there will always be grace. We just have to have faith.*

*It occurred only to me now while I am writing this that a recent dream I've had finally revealed its message to me through this sunflower story of mine. Let me tell you about my dream recently: I was in my studio, and an angel came up to me and introduced herself. She said her name was "Grace," and that we are going to go fly. She reached for my hand and led me to the window which was overlooking a few stories and the ground below. I hesitated, telling her that I could not possibly go through the wall. She smiled and said that I can. I replied that I can't. True enough, as we reached the wall, she passed through the wall and there she was flying in front of me while I remained behind the window. She told me to climb out and join her. I was scared but I did climb out. I was holding on the railings. She told me to let go so I could fly. I was scared. I said I could not let go because I will fall. Suddenly, a gush of wind enveloped me and I hear someome (or was it me?) whisper to me: "Have faith, Lou," at which point, I let go. And I was flying! It felt so real. I could see my bare feet in the air as I looked down where Grace was. I flew about for a little while, contemplating on the thought that "this couldn't be just a dream" before I joined Grace and another girl (I cannot remember her) on the ground. Then I woke up.*

Discovering this message now and writing this so that I may share it with everyone who comes across this page, in themselves, are truly miracles. His grace is truly abundant, and springs eternally even in the darkest and in the strangest of places--like the majestic sunflowers outside our home.

Truly, with faith, all things ARE possible.


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