Joy That Conquered the World
one seed at a time.
You’re reading my newsletter, This Isn’t Happening. If you like my work and think that positive and uplifting ideas still have a place in our modern world, consider subscribing. You’ll receive all of my content as it’s released.
As the waves of warm air return for the summer, the millions of plants that laid dormant for months begin to slowly emerge, eventually showing the world all of the beauty that rested beneath the soil all winter.
Yet even though the beauty of a flower is powerful enough to make someone smile, the beauty of each individual flower often gets lost in the sea of flowers that blanket the ground this time of year.
Let’s face it, it’s pretty easy to see a field of dandelions and not think that it’s inherently special. At first glance, it just looks like something that we have seen our whole lives—and something that is the bane of those that like for their yards to be pristine. The whimsical dandelion, though, can teach us a lesson that is far more profound than its worldly purpose.
As each individual dandelion blooms, it brings beauty into the world that never existed before, and will never exist again. Sure, there will certainly be other dandelions that bloom in the future, but it’s likely that none will bloom in the same exact spot, in the same exact conditions. Each dandelion that blooms creates a unique opportunity for the world around it. In a matter of days, dandelions can turn an all green canvas of a field into a sea of gold—speckled with green here and there. In an instant, dandelions change the world.
It is also worth noting that perhaps a dandelion’s main purpose isn’t to just bring beauty into the world by their looks alone. Every single day, thousands of children, and adults, pick up the flowers that have gone to seed,—forming their ever recognizable fuzz balls—and with one big exhale, they send the seeds soaring into the sky. The amount of fun and wonder that comes from such a simple moment cannot, and should not, be overlooked. I like to think that perhaps God knew that people would find such entertainment out of something so simple. And in the process, God made a plan for dandelions to spread all across the world, bringing joy to nearly everyone.
The most profoundly beautiful things don’t always come in the ways that we expect. Often, they can be found in the most mundane aspects of life. Whether it be a dandelion in your yard, the clouds in the sky, the leaves in the trees, the ever present chorus of birds that sing every morning, there is always something beautiful around you. And if you look closely, each one of those moments also grants you a unique opportunity to bring beauty into the world yourself.
As the Scriptures say, “People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of the Lord remains forever.” And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.
1 Peter 1:24-25 NLT
Como dicen las Escrituras: «Los seres humanos son como la hierba, su belleza es como la flor del campo. La hierba se seca y la flor se marchita. Pero la palabra del Señor permanece para siempre». Y esta palabra es el mensaje de la Buena Noticia que se les ha predicado.
1 Pedro 1:24-25 NTV