Sunflowers

Recently I took a trip to Romania. It was an amazing trip, where I got to see God doing some cool things. What I love about God is that He works all around us, allowing us to see His great works and so glorify Him, but He also works in us. He sometimes speaks in the softest venues. He spoke to me through a field of sunflowers. I saw them on the train into Padureni, the small gypsy village that was my home for a week. In Romania, they harvest sunflowers for their seeds and oils. Therefore, there are many fields full of the beautiful flowers, acres and acres of them. I wanted a picture of one of these sunflower fields, but the trip came and went without a convenient moment to snap a picture. So I tried to make it happen. On the last day I was there, I walked through the village, with the intent of walking out of it, onto the main street, and so get my picture. I was alone and had a huge check in my spirit that this was not what I should be doing. So I disappointedly walked back for dinner.

It was then that I was told that I needed to get ready to go show the Jesus film in a neighboring village, we would leave in ten minutes. This was not on the original plan, but as it was the last night for many of us, it was agreed that this was the best use of our time. So we piled into the van. My new friends Emma and Michael were sitting on either side of me. We went by a different road we had not yet travelled. Well, road is being generous. It was more a dirt pathway that had been carved out by wagons and small cars, that had the deepest caverns of pot holes I had ever seen.

Suddenly, I looked up.

There all around us were sunflowers. The dirt path was carved right through the most extensive sunflower fields. I almost came out of my skin, and giggled with glee. Sunflower fields right out of our window. Emma asked if I wanted her to take some pictures since I was in the middle. Of course! Turns out Emma is quite a photographer, far better than I ever could be. She put her body on the window sill and took picture after picture. Due to the pot holes, the van was going at a fantastic picture-taking pace. I was overjoyed.

That is so like God: to answer a want in such overflowing measures that I am filled with joy and gratitude at His unmerited generosity. I didn't get one picture of far off sunflower fields, I got twelve of them right outside my window. So that trip I got to see God move all around me, but also so greatly in me.