Won't you let Him?

When I wrote the first devotional on dandelions I never imagined that God would wrap so many lessons up in this little weed.  That's me putting Him in a box, I'm sure I could never look at another flower in my life and He could show me something new about Him through this bright flower every day until I die.  But we do that don't we, put Him in a box?  We forget that He is so amazing and try to limit Him.

Or maybe you just limit His use of you....  Perhaps you feel to unworthy for Him to use you.  Or you just can't picture how He could.  After all, you have done ___________(fill in the blank with your own hidden act) in the past and if anyone knew, they wouldn't listen to you about how God has changed you.  Or this morning RIGHT after you finished your Bible study and your cup of coffee you yelled at your kids, or said some not nice things about the guy in the car in front of you that cut you off, or you thought some unkind words about a co-worker.  How could He use you if you can't even manage to keep it together for an hour, much less a day?

Here is the thing, God can make ALL things beautiful.  My daughter and I have been observing a dandelion in my yard for about two weeks now.  The bright, colorful yellow flower only lasts a few days, it is short lived.  Reminds me of our life here on earth, it doesn't last long in the grand scheme of things.  After those first two days the flower closed up and we have marched outside to stare are closed flowers on top of some jagged leaves for days and days now.  Ever looked at one?  It's not a beautiful picture.

Kind of like our past.  We may have had a few bright moments where we thought we were beautiful creatures, but we all have sin in our lives.  We all have more moments where we look like the picture above.  But then we meet Jesus and hidden in that flower bud He works the transformation that I spoke about on Tuesday.  And then something amazing happens...

Hidden within that bud are up to 100+ seeds.  Watching them bloom is a beautiful sight.  And each seed can be lifted by the wind and carried to start a whole new plant.  God wants us to be like that.  He has equipped us to impact the world around us, to spread His love to the world. But first we have to open up our tightly packed, protective bud.  We have to share the transformation.

It's so tempting to keep it all in.  After all, it is a personal relationship, isn't it?  When we are going through our transformation, when we allow God to work in us and change us from the person we were in the world to the new person He is creating us to be, we don't really stand out.  We can still kind of blend in to the world.  You may not actually be like the rest of the field, but you are still green so you aren't obviously different.  To open up and let the transformation show will definitely make you look different.  But.....

Have you ever observed an uninterrupted field over a season?  You might see one or two dandelions to begin with, but before long you see more...and more......and more dandelions.  They spread quickly.  The seeds easily take root in any soil.  And the message that God has placed in you, the unique way you can reflect Him in this world, can spread like that too....if you let it.  Won't you open up and let it?

A new Creation

Last Thursday I shared about how dandelions remind me that it is not only okay to be different than the world, but that we are supposed to be different.  (You can read it here)  Today I want to talk about another lesson I got from this common little weed.

My 5 year old and I have been studying this little plant this month as part of our nature/science portion of school.  We have discovered that a dandelion blooms it's bright yellow flower for only a day or two, and then it closes its petals and begins a transformation.....

We start out being a good creation of God, loved and beautiful in His eyes.  But we are also like a weed.  No matter how much God loves us or how beautiful we are to Him, we just don't belong in the garden.  But God can transform us into something new, something totally different.

What a wonderful word, transformation.  Merriam Webster's dictionary defines transformation as a "complete and major change in someone or something".  We see transformations all around us, especially at this time of year.  The trees transform from leafless, seemingly lifeless entities to plants that are vibrantly green.  Animals transform from a cold state of hibernation to an energetic state of motion.  Flowers transform from bulbs underground to stately, colorful displays of beauty.  God promises to transform us too when we decide to allow Him.

We are told in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that when we choose Jesus, we are made new, sounds like a transformation to me.  And Romans 12:2 reminds us that we are not only supposed to be different than the world, but that this difference comes from a transformation of our mind, something internal and not really seen by the world.  Sounds like a dandelion to me.

A dandelion closes its flower head and the transformation begins.  How long it takes varies depending upon outside stimulus.  How much sunshine and rain there is greatly affects the transformation.  You know, the things a plant needs to survive.  Our transformation is similar.

When we give our life to Jesus the process begins, but how long it takes is dependant upon our exposure to the Son and how we weather the the rainstorms.  Transformation requires energy, and it requires being feed.  Unlike the dandelion we aren't rooted in place unable to seek out what we need to complete the transformation.  God has given us His Spirit which is life (John 6:63).  We can choose to feed our transformation by soaking ourselves in His Word, by listening to His Spirit, by choosing His ways.  Or we can choose to make the transformation more difficult by not "feeding" ourselves on Him.

In my daughter's study we chose two dandelion plants.  One is mostly in a shaded area that doesn't get much water due to it being under the eaves our house.  The other is in a sunny location that receives plenty of water.  Bet you can figure out which one transformed first.....

 

*originally published on Coffee with Christ

In but not of...

Spring has finally arrived here.  The leaves on the trees are budding, my crocuses and daffodils have made an appearance, and I have even heard the sounds of lawn mowers in the neighborhood.  I have also noticed the bright yellow heads of dandelions amongst the emerald green grass as well.

For many, the dandelion is a weed, a nuisance plant that is out of place in a well-manicured lawn.  As a child, I loved them.  They were a flower I was allowed, even encouraged, to pick.  I can remember creating bouquets of them with some Queen Anne's Lace and proudly presenting them to my mother, who dutifully sniffed them and proclaimed it to be beautiful without even wrinkling her nose. (A true effort of will if you have ever smelled Queen Anne's Lace!)  As we grow older, though, that bright yellow flower loses its allure and becomes an undesirable.

I don't know about you, but I have felt like that at times.  I poke my head up, a little different than the things around me, and let my colors shine...only to be left feeling undesirable or out of place by those around me.  I felt that way when I returned to college, the old-timer in my 30's amongst a crowd of teens.  I felt that way when I went against the norm and decided not only to homeschool my youngest child, but to keep my middle school child home as well.  And I have felt out of place in certain crowds simply because of my faith in Jesus.   I'm sure you have too.  Do you know what though?  That's okay.

You see, we, as followers of Jesus, are called to be out of place.  Don't believe me?  Read Romans 12:2 and John 15:19.  (Hover over the verses and the Scripture will pop up for you.)  We aren't supposed to be like everyone else.  We are supposed to be transformed-different than the world around us.  We aren't supposed to be loved by everyone living in the world, if we are then we would belong to the world and not Jesus.  We are supposed to be like the dandelions in a field of green grass, letting our bright color stand apart and show God's beauty and love.  It's not an easy road.  Jesus knew this, and He even prayed to His father about it:

I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.  I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one.  They do not belong to this world any more than I do.  Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.  Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. ~John 17:14-18 NLT

He knew that we were going to feel out of place once we decided to follow Him, but He also knows that is necessary in order to bring God's truth to the world.  If we looked and acted like everyone else, how could we point the way to Jesus?  So the next time you see a dandelion, remember that God calls you to be in the world, a part of that field, but not really of the field.  Rather you have been sent to the field.  You have a mission to stand out and be different, it's a good thing.  Take comfort in the knowledge that Jesus has already prayed for your protection on this mission to stand apart.

Next Tuesday I'll share another little lesson I picked up from that little yellow weed.

*originally published on Coffee with Christ