Wonderful, Worthless Weeds

It's a sure sign of spring--dandelions sprouting everywhere, along the roadsides and in the ditches, in empty lots by the hundreds, and unfortunately, in our otherwise well-kept yards. I'm afraid that we don't really welcome those brightly colored blooms, because we consider them to be a nuisance, growing where we want other plants to grow, and spreading like wildfire from one unkempt yard to our own pristine, grassy lawns.

So, if you're like me, you pull out your trowel and uproot them before they have a chance to turn into downy, white, balls of fluff, scattering in the breeze to reseed themselves wherever they land. Or, you might get out the weed spray, or call on your lawn care guy to eradicate them for you, before the neighbors start to complain that your yard is filled with noxious weeds that might (gasp) spread to their beautifully groomed yards.

That's what dandelions are--worthless weeds--prolific plants that grow where we don't want them to grow.

But, in the eyes of a four-year-old, dandelions are something else altogether. Young children treasure the lowly, yellow dandelions, as if they are the most beautiful flower in God's creation. No one minds when children pick dandelions by the dozen, grasping them tightly in their grubby little fists, begging for a vase of water to put them in after they present their lovely bouquets to someone they love--or to someone they hope will truly appreciate such a genuine, heartfelt gift.

So, if you are allergic to dandelions, as I am, you will hold them at arms' length until they are safely ensconced in a tiny container of water, and placed in the center of the kitchen table for everyone to enjoy until some kind person disposes of them discretely. Then, I can wash the dandelion pollen off my hands, and breathe freely in the kitchen once again, until the next grandchild brings me another gift of those wonderful, worthless dandelions.

Have you ever really looked at a dandelion through the eyes of a child? Allergies aside, they truly are beautiful harbingers of spring. Their vibrant color lights up our world as the cold, dreary winter days are coming to an end. If only they didn't spread everywhere so haphazardly, we would eagerly spend our hard-earned money to fill our flowerbeds with their golden yellow blooms, alongside the equally dazzling daffodils and tulips that brighten our yards in the early spring. If dandelions were a rare commodity, we would fight to see who could plant them first. But dandelions are free, and more than plentiful, so we discount their beauty and scorn their very presence. In our world, only the children value the dandelions.

Now, as we are halfway through Holy Week, getting ready to celebrate Jesus' death and resurrection, I remember how Jesus cautioned the people to be like the little children. The children welcomed him, waved palm branches before him, and loved him, expecting nothing in return. After the adults figured out that Jesus didn't come to be their earthly king, to rescue them from Roman tyranny and provide them with all the free food they could eat, they turned their backs on him, considering him to be of no worth.

But Jesus didn't come to be a mere "bread king."  He brought something much more valuable: forgiveness and eternal life. It's a beautiful, free gift, unlike anything anyone else can give us. God's grace is more plentiful than spring dandelions, and equally free. We don't have to work for it; we can't do anything to earn it. And that's where the danger lies. We are tempted to treat God's gracious gift like we treat the dandelions: wonderful as it is, anything so plentiful and free seems worthless.

If you're not sure of the value of the gift God offers at Easter, why don't you ask him to show you? Why not attend church this Sunday, and hear the Easter story firsthand? Why not gaze at our loving, gracious God, with awe and wonder, just like a young child?

I pray that, as you take in the matchless beauty of the underrated dandelions, you will also remember God's gracious gift of salvation, given for you.