The Black-Eyed Susan

One day, while traveling to a town named Bridgewater in my home state of Virginia, I happened upon some wildflowers that deeply caught my attention. The colors were many vibrant shades of pink and purple. Various white blossoms were mixed in, which, amongst the various shades of green stems and leaves, provided a beautiful contrast to the picture. Upon first glance, I knew I had to stop and get a picture. 

As it happened, the wildflowers were not in a field, but rather in a wide strip of earth that served as a median between the north and south bound lanes of Route 42. I knew the task of taking a picture would not be easy or even really safe, but something prompted me to attempt it anyway. So, I pulled my car off on the right shoulder, parking as far off the road as possible. 

I got my camera and made my way across the highway to gather some images of the random beauty around me. Fortunately for me, Route 42 wasn’t extremely busy at the tyme. I made my way into the wildflower expanse like a National Geographic photographer entering the jungles of the Amazon.

I took several pictures…and by several, I mean fifty or more, getting all sorts of angles, often crouching down and using the sky as a backdrop. As I moved and readjusted, trying to get the perfect shot, I looked down to check my footing. Much to my surprise, there stood a single, Black-Eyed Susan bloom looking up at me. The way it glowed in the sunlight was absolutely gorgeous and made my heart smile. What a precious little flower! 

I finished taking my pictures and safely made my way back to my car, where I was greeted by a police officer.  Thankfully, he saw my camera and was satisfied with my explanation of wanting to take pictures of the beautiful scene, though he did leave me with a stern warning of safety and such. As I drove away, I thought about many things, one of which was how grateful I was that I didn’t get a ticket or arrested for taking pictures! 

Beyond that though, I thought about that little flower and how I was pretty sure God, and I were the only ones who knew it was there. I thought about how it was planted there and was doing the job God had for it to do, whether anyone knew about it or not. It made me consider myself and the job God has for me on this earth. Sometymes it can feel pointless to be here, but it’s not. Sometymes it can seem lonely, but God is always with us and always knows exactly where we are and what we need. I think about how that little flower was towered over by all the other flowers and yet somehow (God, of course) it got the sunlight it needed to thrive. If God cared enough to cover the needs and details of that flower, how much more willing is He to care about the details and needs of His prize creations…you and me?! 

Since then, whenever I see my picture of the Black Eyed Susan, I remember that God sees me and He knows what I'm facing. He knows what I need. I am reminded that He is working in my life and even when I don’t understand anything I am going through and I cannot see a solution or a way, this flower is my visual reminder from God to trust Him and let Him work. 

So, now that you too have this flower and know why the image was captured, I hope it will serve as a visual reminder for you as well. He knows exactly where you are and what you need. You are the Black-Eyed Susan in His wildflower garden, and He cares for you!