An Awesome God...

"Our God is an awesome God!"
Noah sang this refrain today as he rode his bike out into the field to show me his mammoth sunflower blooming in his garden.

Two weeks ago during Vacation Bible School, Noah learned not only that song, but also about saving God's grace.

Monday evening of that week, a storm wreaked havoc on our community. High winds and hail knocked over trees, tore off building rooves and shredded crops.

To our amazement, Noah's sunflower withstood the winds, but its leaves were shredded by hail.

Even so, a perfect flower bud emerged giving Noah hope for this plant – one he'd started from seed in his kindergarten class last spring – to mature. A few nights later, deer devoured his tomato and pepper plants plus the sunflower's leaves from four feet to the ground. Still, this plant persevered.

Last week, the head's yellow petals began unfolding. Every day we watched this giant unveil its beauty.

Today the whole center is alive with bees and other insects climbing the stem to pollinate its composite head.

Noah and I staged a photo shoot so that tonight at the school's Open House, we can visit his former kindergarten teacher and show her how the little seed has transformed.

It's not quite twice as tall as her more-than-six-foot-tall husband, but the flower certainly towers two-and-a-half times over her student.


Its thick stem measured 6 inches in diameter – larger than this upcoming first grader's grip.


And from the top of its flower head to the ground measured 10 feet and 1-1/2 inches.




Truly a measure of grace between:
a beloved teacher,
a young gardener and a Creator's protection.

Noah finished the refrain: "He reigns from Heaven above – with wisdom, power and love. Our God is an awesome God."