+JMJ
It’s looking a lot like spring here in North Carolina, and a lot earlier than what is normal for me. Back in New York, we would have at least another month and a half before spring was really truly here.
But the sun is shining, trees are starting to bud, flowers are blooming, and birds are singing. It’s warm enough to sit on the back deck and soak up some sun and it’s staying lighter later for evening walks.I
All the things that make most people happy!
There is one little flower, however, that people seem to go to great lengths to eliminate from their yards. A springtime weed.
The lowly dandelion.
I will never forget, I had a boss that hated dandelions. Absolutely loathed them. He always complained about how they were ruining the look of his green lawn. He went to great lengths to destroy them. Mowing…. spraying…. pulling…
I will admit he made me angry once and I went around the property kicking all the dandelion seed heads I could find in the hopes that they would all grow throughout his precious lawn. Childish I know…. but it made me feel better at the time.
I, for one, love them. I think they are the happiest little flowers! So precious and bright! I love seeing them popping up all over the place.
While meditating on the Agony in the Garden, the Lord used them to show me a few things, especially the qualities of these tiny flowers that we should emulate.
The Agony in the Garden
Then going out He went, as was His custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed Him. When He arrived at the place He said to them, “Pray that you may not undergo the test.” After withdrawing about a stone’s throw from them and kneeling, He prayed saying, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup away from Me; still, not my will but Yours be done.” And to strengthen Him an angel from heaven appeared to Him. He was in such agony and He prayed so fervently that His sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground. When He rose from prayer and returned to His disciples, He found them sleeping from grief. He said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not undergo the test.”
-Luke 22:39-46
My Contemplation
Jesus is on His knees begging God the Father for our souls. The souls of everyone in the world. The souls of everyone throughout all of history.
He witnesses each individual sin ever committed throughout all of time. Each one a laceration to His soul, each one a pinprick to His divine skin from which blood begins to flow. These sins weighing on Him as if pressed in a wine press. Squeezing His precious Blood, drop by drop from His body, through the pinpricks of the sins.
I watch the blood drip in slow motion from His body. Soaking through His robes. I hear each drop hit the ground. Each one echoing throughout the garden, like a small splash in a puddle. Then from each drop on the ground, a dandelion springs forth. So many drops fall and so many dandelions spring up.
When He rises to go meet Judas, He leaves behind a soft bed of dandelions. I kneel down in that spot and lay among the tiny yellow flowers. They envelop me, gently and I hear the whisper of Jesus:
“My beloved soul, how greatly you are loved. See how my love has seeped out of me for your sake. How it desires you and embraces you. Live as the tiny flower does.”
Learning From The Dandelion
His words were confusing to me at first. But the more I thought about the dandelion the more He revealed to me about this simple flower.
So here are 7 things we can learn from the Dandelion.
Humility and Meekness
I see the dandelion as a humble flower. Lowly and often overlooked. Even despised in many cases. I wouldn’t consider it an absolutely stunning flower, but more understatedly pretty. But this doesn’t stop it from blooming, growing, and being exactly what the Lord made it to do.
We must make ourselves small with great gratitude before our Lord. We must be aware of ourselves. Aware of our strengths, our weaknesses, our failings, our temptations. It is these realizations that allow us to see how weak our own strength is next to Our Lord and look to Him in all things.
Where in your life can you make yourself smaller? What are your weaknesses, strengths, and failings? Take some to let the Lord show you who you really are.
Joy
Like I stated above. I think they are the happiest little flowers. They ways bring a smile to my face as I notice them dotting our green lawn. Springtime weather can be unpredictable, fluctuating, and undecided. But these little flowers bloom anyway.
Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit and is a gift given when we live in the will of God for our lives. In doing His will we become joyful at all times. That means both the good times and the bad times. It creates in us an increasing atmosphere of openness to His will, even if that means suffering. Joyfully accepting the suffering allowed to each of us brings honor to the Lord, especially when we don’t really want to be joyful about it.
What do you think the Lord is calling you to do in your life? Do you accept trials joyfully or do you become irritated? Take some time to reflect on the will of God for you and ask the Lord to give you a joyful heart.
Perseverance
Have you ever seen a dandelion growing in unusual places? In cracks of the sidewalk maybe? They grow where they are planted. Blooming even when the situation isn’t ideal.
The Lord places us in different places for a reason. Places, that maybe, we don’t want to be. That are not ideal. Aren’t where we pictured ourselves. But we should grow and radiate Christ anyway!
Are there things in your life that you are not happy with? How can you push through and keep growing even when it is difficult? Even when there are obstacles? Even when you are discouraged?
Nourishment
They are one of the first flowers to pop up in the spring. They are one of the first food sources for bees, other animals, and us. Did you know that all parts of the dandelion are edible? In fact, my favorite tea to drink is dandelion root tea!
There are a couple of points I want to make here:
1. We should be the first to nourish those around us with the Spirit of Christ.
We need to radiate Christ to those around us. Draw them into Him with our attitudes, demeanor, and behavior. When we do this we strengthen those around us and build them up. For example, I work in customer service. I can tell you from experience that a cheerful (joyful 😉) attitude goes a long way to diffusing an angry customer. Providing an atmosphere that is filled with Christ moves people to peace .
2. We should seek Christ as our nourishment before anything else.
We need to fill ourselves with Our Lord. We cannot nourish our souls with food, tv, money, or material things. They will not sustain or care for us. Jesus, however, will fully satisfy the deepest hunger of our souls.
Do you need an attitude adjustment? Do you seek your own desires before seeking Our Lord? Take some time and ask the Lord to reveal to you where you’re filling yourself with things other than Him.
Deep Roots
The dandelion has a long taproot. A taproot is a single root that descends down into the earth. It keeps the dandelion firmly held in the ground and provides the means by which the plant can obtain nutrients from the surrounding soil. This root makes it really hard to completely remove the dandelion from the ground. It often breaks off leaving a portion of the root left buried and unseen. This little bit of root can then propagate and regrow again.
When we are deeply rooted in Christ we are able to withstand hardship. Even when we are broken, suffering, and feeling buried beneath out trials we can still obtain the “nutrients” of Our Lord to grow back again.
How are you rooting yourself in Our Lord? When was the last time you read from scripture? When was the last time you took the time to learn about the faith? Take some time to read from the Bible.
Wide Spreading
The yellow flowers of the dandelion transform into a gentle white seed head. The tiny white seeds are then blown all over. They are at the mercy of the wind, not fighting where it takes them, but floating and going where it wills.
Thinking about the white seed heads of the dandelion, He reveals willingness to do His will and propagate the gospel. We too need to be open and free in following the will of the Lord, even when it may not sound very good. We are also called to spread the gospel abundantly to those around us through our words and actions.
Are you avoiding something the Lord is calling you too? Procrastinating maybe? Making excuses? Take some time to open your heart to Our Lord and willingly accept what He is asking you to do. Then go do it!
Bright Yellow Flowers
Whether you like them or not you definitely can’t miss the bright yellow flowers popping up all over the yard. They draw the eye and stand out as a stark contrast to the greenery around them.
Our world tends to be coldhearted, bitter, and selfish. So, we must stand out as a “light to the world,” as Our Lord says. We need to allow the light of Christ to shine through us. To Radiate the love of Our Lord in order to draw the eyes of others to Christ.
How can you draw others to Jesus? Take some time to consider how you can be the “light of the world” in your own life.
It’s funny sometimes how the Lord will speak to me. What He will use to teach me. I never would have imagined learning so much from a simple dandelion. But I see it as symbolic for the attributes of Our Lord. I can see His humility, His strength, His tenderness, His endurance, and His message. It is a beautiful reminder, as we come out of winter, of the endless love of Our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Remember to pay attention to even the insignificant things. God is always speaking and we can learn a lot from the everyday things.
Thrive in Jesus, my Friends!
How has the Lord spoken to you lately? What does He use to teach you? Leave a comment and let me know!