John 8:12 – Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." (NKJV)

Love and beauty fill every nook and cranny of an oak-tree-covered foothill farm, nestled in Penn Valley, California, USA. A young woman works at her dream to turn her grandparents' "Splendid Farm" into a self-supporting business so that they don't need to sell it. Grass-fed chickens cluck and squawk as they peck in the grass while they mature to size. Waterfowl glide across the pond, and the bright and welcoming farmhouse sits on the knoll above it, while cows graze in the pasture. The shelves of a cooled hunter-green cabinet are loaded daily with eggs, herbs, and vegetables. The arms of an oak tree shade the produce stand, as the sunflowers turn their faces toward the sunshine.

You can see the young woman picking wild flowers, Queen Anne's Lace, miniature roses, and combinations of tiny wild flowers to place with the domesticated tiny florets from the garden. She carefully picks lavender rose buds from a bush planted in her father's memory. Out of her selection, she arranges little round creations called nosegays or "tussie-mussies" that look like something out of an Elizabethan garden. These delicate, miniature bouquets, or posies, in their tiny jars, line a shelf inside the door of the produce and egg cabinet to brighten the array of goods. People are drawn to the hunter-green cabinet, and it sells out each day.

Jesus is the light of the world, and I think of "Sonshine" as the light of Christ shining through believers toward others. We may not fit in a tiny vase, or bloom brightly, but we can be a Sonshine posy for someone who needs hope and glad tidings of joy. Our smile, a touch, understanding, a listening ear, or even a tiny bouquet may just fit the need. When we give someone a Sonshine posy, love and beauty emanate full circle from the heart of God through the giver to the receiver.

We can all give or even be a Sonshine posy to someone else when we love the Lord. First, we need to think about what is going on in our own heart, so that we can be ready to lift someone else's spirit with hope as we extend our kindness, smiles, and good nature to all those around us. Is anything stopping us from sharing Sonshine?

Prayer: Dear Father, we thank You that Christ's light is so powerful that it can shine through us to others. Help us be Sonshine posies to others. Amen.

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About the author:

Karen Milam <karenbmilam@gmail.com>
Penn Valley, California, USA
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