the shadow proves the sunshine

I was wandering around our church this morning (trying to warm up, it's cold here!) and I found some sunflower sprouts that were sitting by a window in our church kitchen. At first glance, it looked like the sunflowers were broken. Aren't flowers supposed to grow up straight? These little guys were straining and stretching towards the window to get more sunlight - they actually grew that way.

How about us? Do we strain and grow towards our Sunlight? Jesus says - "I am the light of the world." I made me think, how am I growing? Do I strain and stretch - even uncomfortably - to get into the light of my Savior Jesus? Is my knowing relationship with God shaping me and guiding me towards His truth and light?

I think that often times when we see God's light we don't grow towards the light like sunflowers, we grow away from it like mold. Mold thrives in the darkness. Left in the dark, it grows wherever it wants to...except of course in the light. Are we mold or sunflowers? When we see the kind of lives that we are to live in Christ...in the light - are we growing towards God or away from Him?

All this metaphor and analogy makes me wonder if we are...if I am willing to grow in God's light even if it's painful. Even if I have to change directions and plans and submit to his growing path for me. It's the only way I'll bear fruit (or seeds).