Joy was overflowing out of my soul as I gazed out at one of the most beautiful sights I had ever seen. I was standing near a 15 acre sunflower farm—something I had been dreaming about for years, but never experienced. My family and I drove over an hour to Rutledge, Georgia to visit a sunflower farm I had discovered by searching online.
As I was gazing at the field from a window in the gift shop, I was exclaiming, "I feel like I'm in heaven!" I told a young woman that was working there that it was my first time to ever visit a sunflower farm. My childlike enthusiasm seemed to touch her deeply as she stood there with tears in her eyes.
As I was gazing at the field from a window in the gift shop, I was exclaiming, "I feel like I'm in heaven!" I told a young woman that was working there that it was my first time to ever visit a sunflower farm. My childlike enthusiasm seemed to touch her deeply as she stood there with tears in her eyes.
Shortly after paying the fee for cutting the flowers, we made our way out onto the field. There were beads of sweat on my face as I walked through the field of flowers. The temperature was about 97 degrees and it was glorious even in the extreme heat!
It was surreal for me as I remembered envisioning this day so many years before. It was over six years ago that I wrote these words: "Today while I was running, the Lord gave me a vision. I saw myself in a long, flowing, gauzy, white skirt and a loose-fitting, matching white blouse…dancing in a field of beautiful yellow flowers. The flowers were above my knees and they were surrounding me for as far as I could see. It was a beautiful picture in my mind of how my heart has been let loose (set free) and longs to be surrounded by BEAUTY. As I was visualizing this I imagined Michael taking pictures of me and capturing how my heart feels…on film... I trust that the Lord will lead us to a field of yellow flowers!"
It was surreal for me as I remembered envisioning this day so many years before. It was over six years ago that I wrote these words: "Today while I was running, the Lord gave me a vision. I saw myself in a long, flowing, gauzy, white skirt and a loose-fitting, matching white blouse…dancing in a field of beautiful yellow flowers. The flowers were above my knees and they were surrounding me for as far as I could see. It was a beautiful picture in my mind of how my heart has been let loose (set free) and longs to be surrounded by BEAUTY. As I was visualizing this I imagined Michael taking pictures of me and capturing how my heart feels…on film... I trust that the Lord will lead us to a field of yellow flowers!"
The same year I had the flower vision, I stumbled upon a huge print of the most magnificent sunflower field. At the bottom of the print I noticed these words: "Take the time to MARVEL at the wonders of life." While reading these words, I knew that someday I would find a field of sunflowers just like the one in the large picture. I purchased the print and hung it on the wall behind my desk in my small writing studio. The theme of my little writing nook became "sunflowers." Looking at the picture of the beautiful sunflower field has been exhilarating for me during the years that I've had it. But it doesn't compare to standing in a real life field of sunflowers.
As I stood there in the midst of the beauty all I could think about was how heaven has touched me with the freedom I have found through the love of Christ.
As I stood there in the midst of the beauty all I could think about was how heaven has touched me with the freedom I have found through the love of Christ.
Jesus wants for all of us to live in His freedom and let Him heal our hurts as they arise from within our souls. He died on the cross so that we could live freely and gloriously! It took me decades to see this and to truly know that Jesus wants me to live free from carrying the burdens of life.
I used to be weighed down with anxieties, hurts, and fears. The disappointments of life had robbed me of the life Jesus had envisioned for me and for all of His followers. I had carried those burdens unnecessarily.
I used to be weighed down with anxieties, hurts, and fears. The disappointments of life had robbed me of the life Jesus had envisioned for me and for all of His followers. I had carried those burdens unnecessarily.
All along, I could have been surrendering my cares to Him. But I held onto the hurt for much too long.
When I realized the healing power in the blood of Christ, He began removing the hurts and fears—layer by layer—from my heart and began replacing them with a sense of freedom that makes me want to dance in fields of flowers. So I did that recently. I jumped. I twirled. I threw my arms up toward heaven and rejoiced over the freedom in my heart while my husband was shooting every picture he could. With the camera, he was capturing a visual picture of the glorious freedom that is found in Christ alone.
In Him, we are free to live abundantly...free to dance...free to sing...free to shout hallelujah...free to be what He created us to be...free to bask eternally in His stunning beauty.
Psalm 27:4
One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple.
In Him, we are free to live abundantly...free to dance...free to sing...free to shout hallelujah...free to be what He created us to be...free to bask eternally in His stunning beauty.
Psalm 27:4
One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple.
Live Abundantly!
Amy
http://www.sunflowerfarmfestival.com/
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