LESSONS FROM A DANDELION

As believers in the Lord Jesus, our faith must stand firm on the Word of God which will hold us even in the midst of the trials and tribulations that come our way. We must remind ourselves that God is our faithful Father who will be with us to lead and guide us on to the best path as He sees fit. The peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard our hearts and minds and keep us centered and filled with the confidence that we shall not be moved no matter what the enemy may bring against us. Remember the Lord's promises when trials come your way and know that God is your Comforter and a very present help in time of trouble. (Psalm 46:1-11)
Stand strong in times of tribulation and know that you will come forth stronger and better equipped at the end of that trial.

The world is coming alive again. Isn't spring grand? I was walking my dog the other day and I noticed a yard full of dandelions. What a wonderful sight. Even the name is fun. Dandy lions. I always picture a big, friendly lion with a silly grin on his face. I love dandelions. I know some people consider them weeds, but I don't. I think dandelions are
wonderful flowers with a lesson for all of us to learn.

Do you remember feeling a special attraction to dandelions when you were a child?

I remember bringing fistfuls of dandelions to my mother. It didn't matter that the stems were sticky. It didn't matter that both my parents cursed the existence of these flowers when they crept into the lawn. I thought they were beautiful.
Beautiful and plentiful! At least once a week my father would chop off all the heads with the lawn mower, and those he missed my brothers, sister and I would pick. We'd pop the blossoms off the stem with a snap of our fingers. Even so, it seemed like the supply of dandelions never ran low.
For the flowers that escaped the honor of being delivered to my mother, the trauma of experiencing my father's lawn mower, or the horror of suffering through a childhood game, there was a whole other level of existence.
I don't recall ever seeing a dandelion in transition. Perhaps I never paid enough attention to the process. Perhaps I knew it would steal the magic of the transformation if I watched it scientifically. It just seemed like one day there would be a bright, yellow blossom and the next, there would be a soft, round puff of nose tickling seeds. I wondered if, like a
snowflake, no too dandelion puffs were alike.
These puffs were a marvel. Sometimes we'd use furious movement to quickly disperse the seeds into the wind. Other times we'd blow softly to see how strongly they grasped their core. And when they could hold on no longer, they gently drifted off to spread their joy elsewhere. One way would leave me squealing in delight, the other would leave me watching in wonder.
And now, as yellow dots appear in the greenness of my lawn, I think of all the lessons we can learn from this so-called weed.
Imagine having the staying power of a dandelion. Imagine stretching your roots so deep and straight that no amount of tugging on your stem would tear you completely from the source that gives you life. Imagine if you came back to face the world with a bright, sunshiny face even after someone had run you over with a lawnmower, or snapped your head off while singing a silly song. Imagine if your foliage, the things you've accomplished in this world, were a nutritious source of vitamins that helped others grow strong. Imagine if you could spread love, encouragement and compassion as freely
and fully as this flower spreads seeds of itself.
I hope that we can stretch our roots deep enough so that the strongest poisons of anger, fear, hate, envy and criticism can't reach our souls. I hope that the next time you see a
dandelion, you'll stop and think about the lessons it can teach you. I hope you'll see a flower in a world that sees weeds.
By Donna Doyon

Proverbs 3:5-7 “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.”
Psalm 27:11-14 “Teach me Thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”
Psalm 20:6-7 “Now know I that the LORD saveth His anointed; He will hear him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.”
Ephesians 6:10-14 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to
withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore...”