A Dandelion Reflection

Love 'em or hate 'em...you have to admire the persistence of a dandelion.

Unashamed to pop up in the company of the most cultivated gardens or manicured lawns, the hardy dandelion is often overlooked, often cursed, the target of aggressive attempts to eradicate it.

Does this stop it? No........

One past winter, when we had a warm spell at the beginning of January I was coming down the hill from the windmill to the office after a private retreat and my eye was drawn to a spot of gold on the hill. Guess who? Blooming in all its dandelion glory - it didn't care if it was January. It was warm, the sun was shining, it was going to grow!

Since it only lasts a day or so anyway, I picked it and brought it with me - making sure it had some water so it might live out its short span. It was a wonderful focal point for reflection. Tying my own thoughts to this small miracle, blooming in January.

The dandelion, simply by being what it is, and not trying to be a rose, gives glory to God simply by being a dandelion. No pretense...it doesn't obsess over not being something it is not, but rejoices in the hardiness given to it. And - it's NOT fussy or "high maintenance" You don't need special dandelion food, or special dandelion soil. Any old place is fine. In the middle of your prize garden or springing from the cracks in the sidewalk, its needs are minimal. Whether YOU want it there or not - it doesn't get discouraged.

Every part of this amazing flower is edible and useful. Root, leaf, flower.

And, if it were not so common, perhaps we might value it more?

Lord, give me the soul of a dandelion - to bloom where I am planted without worrying about what others may think. Let me open my petals to Your sun and spread my seeds on Your wind...content to be one among millions yet individually unique. A bright beacon amid the most adverse conditions. A testimony to the fact that all of us are loved equally - irregardless of our earthly "state".

csg2007

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