The cycle of life and the interdependency of life is something that simply amazes me!  This male Gold Finch visited our sunflowers during the month of August feasting on the 100s of seeds available to him.  In this Mesa Moment, you can see that he literally made himself a table on the back part of one sunflower so he could easily reach the seeds from another. 

Watching him enjoy the “fruit” of the sunflower reminded me of Jn 12:24, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit”.  The same can be said for a sunflower.  After its stunning beauty, it droops its heads towards the ground, exposing the 100s of seeds it holds that are ready to be food for the birds or that are ready to fall to the ground so next year more sunflower can grow.

Where in our lives have we experienced the gift of sharing our “fruits” with others? 
Where have we experienced death in order for new life to come?  

Becky Eldredge

Becky is an Ignatian-trained spiritual director, retreat facilitator, and writer. She is the author of the Busy Lives and Restless Souls (March 2017, Loyola Press) and The Inner Chapel (April 2020, Loyola Press). She helps others create space to connect faith and everyday life through facilitating retreats and days of reflection, through writing, and through spiritual direction. With nearly twenty years of ministry experience within the Catholic Church, Becky seeks to help others discover God at work in the every day moments of people’s lives by utilizing St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises and the many gifts that our Catholic faith and Ignatian Spirituality provide.