The Dandelion Perspective
It’s funny how our perspective can change with age. As a child, I loved to find dandelions in the yard. Grab one, blow hard, and watch the feather like seeds gracefully float away. Recently, our yard was full of them. Because they bring back childhood memories, I almost hated to mow them over.
As we get older, we tend to view them more like weeds. My son-in-law, James, works as a pest and lawn technician. He said that a majority of their calls in the springtime is for dandelion control. I thought maybe it was because of their sharp jagged leaves, especially since the plant's name means "Lion's Tooth". James said it's mostly because they spread so rapidly and when they die away, they leave bare spots in the grass. For those that are meticulous about their lawns, I could see where that would be a problem.
Dandelions have been used in Biblical teachings for years. I've heard them used as references of resilience and how we should take root and rise back up after being knocked down and how we should spread God's word far and wide like the flower spreads its seeds. I’m sure they’ve been used as other examples as well, but today I’m focusing on perspective.
By definition, a weed is… a plant considered undesirable in a particular situation, growing where it conflicts with human preferences, needs, or goals*. You may see them as playful childhood symbols or edible flowers with many health benefits. (Every portion of the plant is edible and herbalists have long used them to help treat liver, gallbladder, and kidney problems). You may see them as unwanted weeds that need to be eradicated because they’re destroying your lawn and invading your garden. It really just depends on what you consider them to be.
Sometimes we have to look hard to see the good in the things around us and sometimes, we may never see it. But we're told in Genesis 1 that everything God made was good. So, even if we never understand why God created some of the things that we dislike or that we see no use for, we know that everything was placed here for a reason. When we find ourselves wanting the things around us to change or just go away, maybe we need to consider if it’s our perspective that needs changing.
And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth..." -Genesis 1:29
And God saw everything that He has made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. -Genesis 1:31
"A weed is but an unloved flower." -Ella Wheeler Wilcox
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*Weed definition: Wikipedia
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