My family are all Lego fans and in fact my son’s partner took him to visit Legoland at Windsor for his 40th birthday present just the other weekend. I now get lovely flowers to build with Lego and the photo I’ve included is of my two sunflowers. I like sunflowers as they look happy with their bright yellow petals.
I was watching the news on Tuesday as the war in the Ukraine was being covered. The loss of life is dreadful and the reporter was talking about and visiting a field where hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers were buried.
As the camera panned around the sorrowful graves with the hastily erected flags just a few metres away there was a massive field filled with sunflowers. On one side was the darkness and on the other side was the sunshine.
This made me think about our lives. We can be going through many trials and be feeling as if we can’t get away from the darkness but close by there is always the brightness of our Lord being close by.
Hymn 469 in STF has some of the most reassuring words.
I watch the sunrise lighting the sky,
casting its shadows near.
And on this morning bright though it be,
I feel those shadows near me.
But you are always close to me
following all my ways.
May I be always close to you
Following all your ways, Lord.
Thank you, Father, for being close to us when we are worried or struggling and for creating the beautiful sunflowers to warm our days.