Faith and Sunflowers

Faith without deeds won’t get you sunflowers

Last year I was the happy recipient of a lone sunflower plant, courtesy of our resident gardener: Dave McLeay.  It was duly planted, centre stage, in front of my bay window, and lovingly nurtured, supported with a tripod of canes (we have very strong winds!) until one morning a beautiful sunflower head opened up.  

But keeping the plant upright in our exposed windy position was an ongoing battle – eventually lost when we found our dear sunflower, prostrate across the lawn.  

The flower itself had bloomed, but barely matured.

My friend Ashelle, lovingly recovered the flower and having enjoyed it indoors a while, proceeded to harvest the seeds.  I was somewhat contemptuous – the flower had barely matured.  We’d be better off buying new seeds.  Or begging some more from our local supplier (Gardener McLeay).  

This spring, despite my misgivings and much negative talk, Ashelle planted her seeds and I was astonished when she produced around 20 sunflower seedlings!  

I continued to pour cold water on her plans (and not on her seedlings…) by telling her they’d never stay upright in our windswept garden…  but could I dissuade her? No. All my efforts to get her to abandon her doomed mission were fruitless.  She continued to persevere with Project Sunflower.

Today as I write this, Ashelle has no less than 11 Sunflower plants – mostly in full bloom – in our tiny windswept garden.  (The other plants have been given away to other homes where we hope they’re bringing joy.)

But here’s the point.  

I 100% BELIEVE that sunflowers come from sunflower seeds.  But to believe is not enough.

Without the LIVING FAITH that our seeds would germinate, grow strong and produce flowers, I could not muster any DEEDS to actually plant the seeds and nurture them.  

In fact, to my shame, I actively did the opposite – trying to discourage Ashelle’s faith at every point.  I personally had ZERO possibility of producing sunflowers this year.  Because faith without deeds is dead.  

Perhaps this is obvious, but there’s no point in having Dead Faith!   (Worse still, dead faith can be a stumbling block to others too – fortunately Ashelle has unshakeable faith when it comes to sunflowers!)

Living Faith naturally produces Deeds.  And those Deeds naturally lead to fruitfulness (or in this case – Sunflowers!)

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