Prayers and Sunflowers

On Easter Sunday my mom suffered a black out and rushed to the hospital.  The cause was not completely identified.  This has left her without being able to drive for six months (she has 5 weeks to go.)  This has left her a little depressed not to mention bored out of her mind.  My mom went to Mass every day for years and years, but has had to put that on hold during this time.  That was the hardest part for her.

My mom has had some funky heart rhythms happening for a few years now and the doctor decided to put a pace maker in a few weeks back.  This terrified her.  She hates procedures of any kind but was hoping for a better quality of life on the other side of surgery.  

Months back she asked my brother to plant some sun flowers for her.  He said it was too late in the season (he is a landscaper by trade) but promised to plant several next spring.  My mom loves the color yellow and loves that Sun flowers grow so tall.  To her the sunflower is a sign of hope.  She said that she secretly prayed for a sunflower.  If God could answer prayers, she didn't want anything big just a flower.  Her son said it couldn't happen this year so she was willing to wait.  My mom has a strong faith and trust that God will take care of her.

While waiting for the pace maker she became more and more afraid.  She was filled with dread to say the least.  Her thoughts become more anymore irrational and she was mad at God about the lack of Sunflowers in her life.  She walked outside with her beloved dog and noticed her pot of plowers that sit outside her large glass door for her to lookout all the time. This pot usually gives her comfort but this time when she looked close she noticed that a "stupid bird had done his business" all over her flowers.  She was not happy.  The flowers that she had were messed up now.  God was just not hearing her, or so she thought.  The rains fell and cleaned off her flowers and she didn't think about it again.

Fast forward a week and she returned home from her overnight in the hospital to have the pace maker put in.  Everything went wonderfully and the next morning after her surgery she had more energy than she has had in years.  This a sign that the pace maker was doing its job.  My mom never told us about her secret sunflower prayers but God had heard her. That "stupid bird" had left one little sun flower seed behind, then rain fell and washed it into the soil.  She returned home to a very small (1 foot) high sun flower growing in the mix of her other flowers. It was just big enough that she could see it.  She knew that it was sign, a symbol of love.  God answers prayers, He always does.  It doesn't always look like we think it will or come at the right moment but he always answers them.  

When I saw this metal Sun Flower in the fall decoration section at At Home I had to get it.   I know she will always see Sun flowers as a promise to answer prayers (as will I.)