What Do You See?

Back in my days at Cedarville College, we would start each year with a speech from President Dixon asking us to stay off the well-manicured lawns. The one exception was if we saw a dandelion. A dandelion thriving in the midst of the green lawn gave permission for us to go and get rid of it. It’s funny the view we have of different things.

At one time dandelions were sought after. Not only are they a bright cheerful yellow flower, but they are a highly nutritious plant loaded with vitamins. A natural remedy eaten or ground into tea provides support for blood sugar maintenance and boosts skin, liver, and heart health. Yet now most of the time, we look at it as a weed. Thinking about the different aspects of the dandelion made me think of people and how we tend to view ourselves.

God has made each of us special in our own way and equipped us with gifts and abilities to share with others and encourage in a way that no one else could. Of all the billions and billions of people that have existed from the beginning of time until now, each one of us is unique, and God is the Creator of us all.

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” Psalm 139:13-16

Great value lies within that pesky weed. Great value lies within each of us as well because God created us unique from all others and in His image. When we see ourselves through His eyes and use our God-given gifts, others see a difference. They want what we have. They want to feel unique and special. They are drawn to Him. They want to see themselves through Him.

We spend time on our lawns digging down to the root and popping pesky dandelions out of our soil. Dig down to the root, so more won’t take root, spreading across the lawn, taking it over. Yet, this is another reason why the dandelion is so great. If we compare ourselves to a dandelion and its ability to spread widely and easily, isn’t that what we are to do as we spread God’s love with the unique gifts He supplies us with? Next time, before you dig out a dandelion, look at its cheerful yellow color and think on this:

What unique qualities has God given you?

How can you use those gifts to show others Him?

Fearfully and wonderfully made, uniquely used to show others Him.

In His Love,

Susan