Please take a few minutes and really study this picture. If you click on it, you may be able to zoom in to see the intricate details.
I was captivated by this shot that I took of a simple backyard dandelion. As soon as I saw it, I immediatley began to draw analogies to life in the Spirit. It is said that Christ is the vine. Now I know this is just a stem, but it reminded me of a vine. See how each individual parachute and seed, is deeply lodged into the top of the stem? Now take a look at the end, how magnificant looking is that? It is as if each parachute is exploding with glory! It appears that there are lights shining as they do in a stadium, when the cameras are flashing. I was reading an article and it stated that the leaves are at their best when they've just emerged, and the yellow flower can transform into the white globular seedhead overnight, and that each seed has this parachute to travel far and wide in the wind, which spreads the seed. Dandelions spread further, are more difficult to exterminate, and grow under more under adverse circumstances than most competitors. Most gardeners detest them, but the more you try to weed them up, the faster they grow.
As each one of these seeds are rooted deeply into this stem, I feel when we stay deeply rooted, and grounded into Him, in time we are given a seeds of knowledge, and filled with such joy, we feel we are going to explode with love. This gives us the desire to tell everyone THE GOOD NEWS! The Spirit as the wind will carry us along, and give us the Glory of the Father to shine and advance His Kingdom. I see the seeds as the Word of God or GOOD NEWS, that we are to spread as we are carried along in His Spirit by heavenly parachutes, similar to wings. Like dandelions, the more that people try to squelch the advancement of the Kingdom, the faster it grows. A good example is the persecution of the Christians in Roman times. They were trying to weed us out, or exterminate us. We see what happened with that. We also on an individual basis grow faster through adversity, than any other circumstance in our lives. This is how God prepares us, and matures us to become who we are meant to be in Christ, and in His Kingdom. We build into our testimony through these times, which will in turn help us to build into others, having been there, we are able to comfort them, and provide wise council. It reveals the purpose we are created for.
If your not feeling this in Christian walk today, here is something to think about. Just as the dandelion may appear to turn from the flower, into the white seedhead overnight. In most cases there were other stages of life, and maturity that led up to that transformation. It started with the soil and the roots. The soil had to be made fertile, in order for the roots to grow. You cannot see the roots until they burst through the ground. It is something done on the inside. This is similar to the transformation stages that we as Christians go through. Sometimes we cannot see it on the outside, but if we hang in there, and stay rooted into Him, we will see the outward appearence, of the Christ like transformation that has been taking place on the inside of us. We could be in our yellow flowering stage now, and not realize a breakthrough is going to happen tomorrow. Just stay connected, and use this time to mature in Christ. It is imperative however that we do not remain idle once we reach this point. We must move in the direction the Spirit will lead us into. I am sure if the parachutes, stayed hooked in past their time to fly, they would not be able to spread as much seed, and find new life. We cannot get to the new places that God is trying to move us to, if we aren't allowing the Spirit to carry us, as the wind carries these parachutes to the new places, and plants them into their new soil to begin the proces over again. All things in their proper time. See Ecclesiates at the end of this if you wish.
Another interesting fact that I learned of the dandelion, is that they're so deeply toothed, they gave the plant its name in Old French: Dent-de-lion means lion's tooth in Old French. How appropriate I thought for this analogy, as Jesus descended from Judah. The symbol of Judah is a LION, and obviously you find the teeth in it's mouth.
Let us all spread the WORD of our MIGHTY LION, as these dandelions are spreading their seed all over the world! Don't let it surprise you if you find that you are treated by this world, as a weed that needs to be pulled. A servant is no greater than his Master. Have the attitude that Christ has and forgive them, for they do not know what they do, and they have veils over their hearts, as we once did preventing them from seeing the beauty of God that lives in you, CHRIST.
A Time for Everything
Ecc 3:1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
Ecc 3:2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
Ecc 3:3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
Ecc 3:4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
Ecc 3:5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
Ecc 3:6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
Ecc 3:7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
Ecc 3:8 a time to love and a time to hate. a time for war and a time for peace.
While the second picture is mine, I am unable to take credit for the first one. Information that I have used, as well as the first picture, can be found at the following link. I encourage you to read it when you have the time to find out more information regardig these amazing flowers:
http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Plants.Folder/Dandelion.html
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