My name is Dan, and some people have resorted to calling me “Dandelion” lately. Get it? It’s corny. I really don’t like the nickname, but there is some truth to it.
A dandelion is basically a weed, an unwanted growth that sprouts up among perfectly good green grass. Dandelions don’t last very long and really don’t seem to serve much of a purpose except to blow apart in the wind. It’s kind of how I think of myself sometimes. I wonder if I’m a weed in the garden of life. Where is my purpose? What good am I really? I think, in reality, we all in a way are weeds. When you look at our core, we are pretty crappy. There doesn’t seem to be anything really redeemable about us. But, there is some good news, weeds:
God. The creator of the world. The one who put the sun in the sky. The epitome of everything good doesn’t see us that way. The maker, the artist of all loves us. He wants to walk with us. He is willing to sacrifice everything — to lower Himself to our level — to bring us into His arms. I am loved by the Lord of the universe. He wants to be with me in all my weed-ness.
I don’t think I will ever properly appreciate that. I don’t think I can imagine just how amazing that is. Everyone on the face of this earth seeks love. And here it is: God loves us even though we don’t deserve it. He was (and still is) willing to die for us. He knows we’re worthless and loves us anyway. Wow.
So back to dandelions — what is the point for us weeds? The point is that when God looks down on us, He doesn’t see the weeds we are — He sees flowers. He sees a flower in me. He loves me. He loves us. That’s something to contemplate, but even more, it is something to rejoice in. So while you think about that, I’ll finish with a few lines from a Five Iron Frenzy song titled “Dandelions” (but not named after me). It speaks my heart:
Fathomless your endless mercy,
Weight I could not lift,
Where do I fit in this puzzle,
What good are these gifts?
Not a martyr, or a saint
Scarcely can I struggle through.
All that I have ever wanted,
Was to give my best to you
Lord, search my heart,
Create in me something clean
Dandelions
You see flowers in these weeds.
Dig Deeper:
Watch:
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for seeing my as a beautiful flower. Thank You for seeing the value in me.
