I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. (Jeremiah 31:3)
Some people consider dandelions an annoying weed that they most destroy at all costs. Our neighbor had been one of those, out every day with herbicides and garden tools killing the plant the moment it popped its tiny head above the ground’s surface.
I, on the other hand, love dandelions.
They mark spring with their bright yellow faces. But that’s not why I love them. They make good wine. But that’s not why I love them. Served with a hot bacon dressing, they make a fine side dish for ham. But that’s not why I love them. They also make mighty tasty jelly. But that’s not why I love them.
Dandelion Smiles
I love dandelions because nothing puts a smile on a child’s face more than giving her mother a bouquet of freshly picked flowers. And what kind of flowers are readily available to children? Dandelions.
This week, my daughter and her two-year-old daughter ushered me down memory lane about thirty-five years, as I watched them pick dandelions. Little Lilly’s eyes sparkled with delight with each pluck of a stem just like her mother’s eyes sparkled when she and I picked dandelions so many years ago. She was so proud of her accomplishment. What a cherished memory.
In many ways, dandelions remind me of me.
Cancer has left me with the mark of suffering. I’m not as strong and vibrant as I had been. I don’t have the motivation to do the things I once did. I can’t even walk like I did. I lack stamina. To make matters worse, like a dandelion, my yellow hair has turned white and flighty.
It may be difficult to find beauty and value in my current condition, but my Father loves me with an everlasting love. When He looks at me, His eyes sparkle with delight. He draws me near and holds me when I’m feeling down. Even when I’m feeling good, He’s there admiring me. Oh not because of anything I’ve done or how I look but because of who He is and what Jesus has done for and in me. When He looks on me, His glory shines over me. I’m precious in His sight.
That’s why I love dandelions.
How about you? What flower that speaks to your heart?
See you in a twinkling,
Brenda K. Hendricks
Encouraging Today's Christian 
Such tender memories, Brenda. It also works the other way…that smile. I picked a couple dandelions for Faith the other day, even though she is 22, just for fun. And yes, it made us both smile.
A flower that speaks to my heart…hmm… Well, any purple flower, especially those which grow abundantly along roadsides. And why? When Holly, now 34, was three, we would walk to my mom and dad’s about a mile away, me pushing the stroller with Sarah, then one, and Holly picking wildflowers. One time, she handed me a purple flower, and we made up a silly ditty about it. I didn’t know that song would go on to be sung often and continue to be sung today to our grandchildren and even the kids Holly watches at daycare! The first lines say, “I picked a purty purple flower the other day along my way to see you, and what do you think, along my way, my purty purple flower, it turned blue!” We added more verses with other colors of flowers. Such a sweet time!
I love memories like this. Thank you for prompting them! Blessings!
How sweet. Thanks for sharing, Cathy.