Northern CA, en route to Vancovcer B.C.
At the end of the Summer, my sisters and I took a roadtrip up the West Coast to Vancouver, B.C. This pic was somewhere between Weed, CA (fitting) and Shasta, I think. The dandelions there were huge! And my hair very closely resembled the flower, which inspired this picture. It took a lot of huffing and puffing to get that one little floret you see on the left to dislodge itself from the flower-head. Which was quite odd. I'll come back to this point.
Dandelions are actually quite fascinating in ways other than their easily airborne florets. After a bit of research (a very small bit, and heavily influenced by wikipedia) I uncovered some remarkable facts about dandelions and some uncanny similarities between them and...Christians.
No, I am not saying Christians are weeds. I'm not saying that at all. Just bear with me a moment and lend me your imagination.
And this is why people think we're useless like weeds.
So... Let's get out there and show them what we're good for, eh?
Picture by Arina Borodina
At the end of the Summer, my sisters and I took a roadtrip up the West Coast to Vancouver, B.C. This pic was somewhere between Weed, CA (fitting) and Shasta, I think. The dandelions there were huge! And my hair very closely resembled the flower, which inspired this picture. It took a lot of huffing and puffing to get that one little floret you see on the left to dislodge itself from the flower-head. Which was quite odd. I'll come back to this point.
Dandelions are actually quite fascinating in ways other than their easily airborne florets. After a bit of research (a very small bit, and heavily influenced by wikipedia) I uncovered some remarkable facts about dandelions and some uncanny similarities between them and...Christians.
No, I am not saying Christians are weeds. I'm not saying that at all. Just bear with me a moment and lend me your imagination.
Dandelions are in fact 'beneficial weeds' with purposes which we have recently forgotten. And what is a flowering weed but a wildflower that has never been domesticated? They are beneficial in the fact that their tap roots loosen up hard soil, bring nutrients within reach to other shallow-rooted plants; and they have nutritious value and several medical (holistic) uses.
Now, Christians are frequently regarded with the same enthusiasm as we often show weeds in our gardens. We have great purpose, but few of us serve it and less and less of the crowds we hang with remember it. The Love of God is supposed to shine through us and soften the hardened hearts of sinners. We are supposed to nourish and enrich the lives of those around us with the fruits of the spirit. We are supposed to go into all the world and basically make it better. We are supposed to show the Love that will mend broken hearts, provide the aid and Word of God to build better lives for others and use our faith to believe for the things that will change the world.
But... like the dandelion in the picture, sometimes we get stuck. Sometimes we stay clumped together on one flower-head and never take flight on the wind to root and flower elsewhere. Sometimes life has to seriously huff and puff (or someone has to kick us) to make us go and be what we're supposed to be; do what we're supposed to do; leave our comfort zones.
And this is why people think we're useless like weeds.
So... Let's get out there and show them what we're good for, eh?
Picture by Arina Borodina
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