A-mazing, by Lydia Floren

A maze is a life-sized puzzle, where the challenge is to find your way from point A to point B, through a confusing labyrinth of pathways.  (Quite a feat for directionally challenged folks like me!) Mazes come in all shapes and sizes: a hall of mirrors at a carnival, for example, or the sculpted shrubbery at a plantation.

But a maze in a field of sunflowers? Now that is a site to behold.

Here in Wisconsin a local farmer plants acres of sunflowers every spring, leaving a trace of paths unseeded. By fall his field is transformed into a sea of plate-sized blossoms.  And that network of paths has morphed into a breathtaking maze of gold and green.

A-mazing!

This unique attraction opens to the public in October, and Andrew and I decided to go.  We paid our entrance fee and were handed a map of the trails, which I clutched like a security blanket, as we meandered along taking pictures.

Getting back to A-mazing

Life is like a maze, isn’t it? It is full of twist and turns, often taking us directions we don’t anticipate. Sometimes it feels more confusing – or even frightening – than awe-inspiring. We’re not always sure which way to go next, or even if we’re headed in the right direction.  How do we get back to a-mazing?  How do we let the worry go?

Remember 

We get back to a-mazing by remembering that we have

• A map. The word of God to guide us.
• A beaten path. Many others, who are living a God-guided life, who can share their wisdom, and help us find our way.
• Good company. The God of the universe, the Creator of the maze, is with us every step of the way.  He’s got our back, keeping us safe, and tugging at our elbow when we get off course.  He magnifies our joy, constantly highlighting the extraordinary in our ordinary lives.

Enjoy 

So today, enjoy those a-mazing moments.  A bent-over belly laugh with a friend. An early morning fog blanketing a snowy field. The satisfaction of a job well done.

Give thanks

Today, give thanks for the a-mazing gifts you’ve been given. The privilege of being alive. The  encouragement of people along the way.

Give thanks for the company of God, your Loving Father, who’s guiding you safely through the maze of life.

A-mazing.