SUNFLOWER

“Like a sunflower that follows every moment of the sun,

So I turn towards you, to follow you my God.”

I remember the lyrics of this hymn we sung at primary school. It was of the calmest songs we sung on the morning assembly, and is possibly the reason why sunflowers intrigue me. Especially the part that says that the sunflower moves with the sun. It was simply mind blowing to my young mind, and left me with many questions; ‘Why does it follow the sun? How does it know how the sun moves? Is that why it’s called a sunflower?’

Well, I’ve read it up and research says that the sun-tracking ability of a young sunflower plant, also called, heliotropism, is explained by its circardian rhythms. That is, the plants have an internal clock (just like we humans do), that makes it face the east at dawn and slowly turn westward as the sun moves across the sky. It’s also because the different parts of the stem elongate at different parts of the day.

Now now, before I go all geeky on you, let me point out two things that intrigued me the most:

1. A sunflower that follows the sun has more biomass and attracts more bees than one that doesn’t.
2. A MATURE sunflower doesn’t follow the sun!
   

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Short detour back to the lyrics for some clarity:

Like a sunflower that follows every moment of the sun,

So I turn towards you, to follow you my God.

I wonder if I really am a ‘sunflower’ that follows every moment of the SON. (Snaps at the wordplay there!) Honestly, I may do it from time to time, but I don’t think it is ingrained in me. I have moments of wanting my own way, a sure recipe for ‘attracting less bees’, as per our analogy.

Also, could my maturity as a Christian be filling me up with pride? Do I use my long-term Christianity as a crutch for my prideful thoughts where ‘I’m innocent until proven guilty’ and not vice versa?

I think Jonathan McReynolds summarizes it well in his song Best thing:

“I find my life, when I lose it in you

I gain control when I give it to you

I save myself when I let you save me

Yeah the best thing I can do for me is You.”

I hope you enjoy my random musings. I look forward to sharing more of these here on Bloom.  My goal is to share weekly on Saturday morning (6th year med school is giving me side eyes now but oh well, so help me God!)

For a while I believed that my inquisitive nature was a sure recipe for destructive overthinking , but I realize that it is what makes me aware of all that’s around me. Case in point, I see a sunflower and go down the rabbit hole of what I can learn about it and from it. Well, you my reader, are in for a treat!

Grace and peace to you!