I have entitled this picture “The Defiant Sunflower.”  Notice this one flower in the field not facing east as the others are. Research has enlightened me on the scientific explanation for this. Stay with me for a moment. Immature sunflowers in the bud stage exhibit heliotropism which means the flowers track the sun from east to west. Upon creating sunflowers, God placed motor cells in the flexible part of the stem just below the bud to orchestrate this daily movement. How cool! (How can anyone doubt the existence of God?) However, this phenomenon ceases to take place when the blooming stage is reached. The stem becomes a stalk and stiffens at the end of the bud stage, and the flowering plants are frozen facing an eastward direction. They are no longer heliotropic. Lesson ended!
     For a moment, let’s interject upon this particular flower some varying scenarios, two which readily come to mind.  First, the negative supposition which would lead me to conjecture that this flower’s stem had somehow become hardened earlier than the rest, leaving it to no longer live the productive part of its existence facing the sun.  If this were a field of people and this flower a person, perhaps life has been a lonely struggle without love, without the Lord, and a defiant hardening or feeling of hopelessness has occurred in his or her heart which left them facing away from the SON, God’s son. What warmth, what love, what joy this soul will miss not looking into the face of Jesus. What struggle and loneliness will prevail.  

     Now, from a positive standpoint, let’s consider this. I love this idea! We will need to remove all scientific notion from this illustration. I choose to label this sunflower as the defiant one in a positive sense, refusing to follow the crowd, willing to stand for Christ in a world which has little time for worship of Him and commitment to Him. As the others turn toward today’s immoral lifestyles, focused on self, too busy to seek God or hear His voice, this one, this person chooses wisely. He or she marches to the drum of God’s word and seeks to live out His purpose in their life no matter what the cost, which often also includes loneliness. However,this person is never alone because of God’s unfailing presence. “And low I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

 In that he finds peace. She walks with her head held as high as this sunflower, bringing God’s joy and light to those in her path. Because he is different he makes a difference in God’s kingdom and his life is blessed.
     Do you see yourself in this part of the field?  Is your defiance bringing positive outcomes or negative ones?  Is your heart defiantly hard or defiantly determined to make a difference in this world for Jesus?  Think about it, make the necessary adjustments, and go with God.  To God Be the Glory!