There was once a marvelous and odd flower that grew in a garden. It was bright and full of life. It was marvelous because it’s personality and colors burst forth into the sky each day like a shooting star. It was odd because it exuded a behavior that seemed strange to all the other flowers in the garden. You see, all other florae pretty much remained motionless throughout the day, with the exception of the occasional breeze. Throughout the garden was an array of colors, each unique in and of itself. But one flower’s uniqueness stood out amongst the rest, and it was all because of a peculiarly-magnificently-odd-mannerism which set it apart. While beauty was beholden to the unique color of each plant’s immovable convictions, one seemed to make a strange sort of motion throughout the day. All the flowers thought some defect or disfunction must bear the blame for such eccentric behavior. They could not understand why such a verdure would waste its energy and, thus, life constantly moving throughout the day. Doesn’t this odd individual sense its social standing being stained by such hullabaloo, all the other flowers thought.
Then one day, a shrub whose roots had long since taken deep into the soil, dared to ask a question, “Uhhhh, say you over there, what is all the strangeness that seems to consume your days? Don’t you know that it is quite uncivilized for greenery such as us?” The odd and marvelous flower had never thought of how others perceived it, nor what was proper florae etiquette. Still, a response was given to the question asked, “Why, I am chasing the sun.” “You will never catch the sun, so why on earth are you chasing it!” the shrub abruptly replied. “I said I was chasing the sun, I never said I was trying to catch it. You see, I chase the sun to catch the light. I am a giant sunflower, designed to follow the arch of the sun every day. And in so doing I catch the light and soak up its rays.” “Hmmm,” the shrub replied in a confused way, “well, it’s still hullabaloo.”
I don’t think any plant in the entire garden ever understood the sunflower. It was meant to stand out amongst the rest. After all it reached out for as much light and life as could be experienced every single day. Still, her uniqueness didn’t confine her, rather it defined her as marvelous and odd…and there is nothing wrong with being both.
You…me…we are all marvelous and odd, or just marvelously odd! We were created to rise each day and chase the sun, following its arch and catching as much light as can be experienced in any given day. Never forget that! God has given a gift, one that ‘other flowers in the garden’ may not understand. We also realize that, at times, a cloud can block out the light causing you to feel frustrated and confused. But take heart, you are a giant sunflower, for the sun never goes away…and soon that cloud will pass by.
I think out of all the plants and flowers, the giant sunflower best captures the life we were created for. We are a people called out of darkness and into the marvelous light of Jesus. The great change in us, our miraculous transformation, leaves us clearly believing that only Jesus deserves our worship.