Dandelion Lives

 

picture by Manfriedrichter

But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. ~Malachi 4:2

As children, we lay in the fields and picked dandelions, blowing the puff balls across the field or making crowns with the yellow flowers. As adults, we try to rid them from our lawns and gardens, calling them weeds. Weeds indeed! The deep roots plow through the soil, loosening it to let the rain reach the grass and garden plants. We deprive our children of lazy days of enjoyment in nature while learning the natural way of seed distribution and plant reproduction. Ah, but to the point. Dandelions are another reminder that creation speaks of the Creator, and they speak of us. 

Rooted and grounded deep in the soil, the dark green leaves show off the single orange flower head, whose stem is hollow to uptake water and nutrients in the soil. The flower soon changes to a ball of fluff whose seeds are carried by the wind across lawns and fields to bring a rebirth of the flower in another place. So what does that have to do with you and me? 

• Deeply Rooted - We need to be deeply rooted in God's word. The Word gives us the nutrients we need to grow as Christians. It is the Water of Life. 
• Yellow Gold - The yellow gold flower head in the middle of the whorl of dark green leaves speaks of the King's crown, in the center of our lives. We are the living body of leaves surrounding our hearts, which carries Jesus as the center of our lives. 
• Seed Distribution - As the flower matures, it shoots up a hollow stem that carries water and nutrients to the seeds that form around the center of the flower. The seeds grow and mature until they are blown away to another place for another time, just as we should be maturing and raising our children to be the seeds transplanted to another place and time. A place and time to raise another godly generation.

Sometimes we may feel that the seeds have flown without their purpose, but remember that not all flowers bloom at the same time. The living word you have implanted in those children will not be forgotten. In God's time, they too will produce another generation for the Lord. 

Heavenly Father, help us keep You at the center of our lives. Help us show Jesus to our children in our daily living. Help us implant Your word in their minds so their thoughts, their deeds, their ethics are demonstrations of You. May they see these same examples in our lives. In Jesus' name. Amen.