In the spring and summer, I curse them and nuke them, but this week I admired their tenacity. I was running along on a cold sunny morning, turned a corner onto a patch of grass and was struck by a single happy face looking up at me. Seeing the yellow spot of joy against the frosty green, I had to smile at the dandelion’s humble courage and perseverance.

The little spot of joy seemed undaunted by its current difficult season of life. Oblivious to all the frosty reasons for dormancy, it kept its face fully set upon the glory of the sun and saw nothing else. Regardless of its circumstances, it shone as if reflecting the very orb of the sun.

I recently finished reading a book on the life of Lilias Trotter, artist and missionary to North Africa from 1888 until her death in 1928. She wrote of a day in a wood and reflected upon a “single bright spot shining as a great golden star. It was just a dandelion, and half-withered – but it was full face to the sun, and had caught into its heart all the glory it could hold… There is an ocean of grace and love and power lying all around us…and it is ready to transfigure us, as the sunshine transfigured the dandelion, and on the same condition – that we stand full face to God. Turn full your soul’s vision to Jesus, and look and look at Him, and a strange dimness will come over all that is apart from Him. For He is worthy to have all there is to be had in the heart that He has died to win.”[1] Helen Limmel was so inspired by Lilias’ challenge to “turn full your soul’s vision to Jesus, and look and look at Him,” that she wrote the hymn “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.”

He is worthy to have all there is to be had in this heart that He died to win. And He will give it all the glory it can hold if I look and look and keep looking full face at Jesus.

[1] Rockness, Miriam Huffman. (2003). A Passion for the Impossible, The Life of Lilias Trotter. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Discovery House Publishers.