When we bought our home, the yard needed a fair amount of work. It was not quite what we envisioned. But with a demanding work schedule for my wife and I, plus a bit of a limited skill set, we embarked on hiring a landscape company to come in and transform our yard into the beautiful yard we desired. However, even after much research and reference checks, and having them come back numerous times, the final product was still lacking. With a change in my work, the time became available for me to tinker in the yard. The goal was to, at least, get the grass green and hopefully turn it into a lawn. Slowly it has begun to take shape. It is green and it does have a bit of a lushness to it. But amongst the green, there pop up those yellow flowers.
And thus the battle began. Me vs the pesky yellow flowering weeds. No matter how I tried to eliminate those little weeds, it seemed to be a lost battle. Our home is situated across the street from a city park in which those yellow flowering weeds seem to thrive. I felt defeated. Then one day at the Cathedral I glanced out the window and there were a group of children diligently and ever so carefully picking dandelion flowers and building a large bouquet. Not sure what made me pause and watch, but I did.
Then with great pride and love they presented their creatively designed dandelion bouquets to whom I presume were parents, but even if not, some beloved person to them. And they presented those bouquets with great delight and love. Those pesky yellow flowering weeds that continue to plague my lawn were to them great flowers of beauty.
To those little ones, those yellow flowers were exactly that - flowers. To them, dandelions were as precious as roses or orchids or lilies. Those pesky yellow flowering weeds that I battle every summer are indeed something of great beauty when seen thru the correct eyes. Those pesky yellow flowering weeds are all part of God’s creation, made in perfection and beauty and goodness just as the butterflies and rainbows. When we get ourselves to see with Godly eyes, how much more we see. That park across the street in which the dandelions thrive is not my nemesis but a great place of beauty and peacefulness. It is a place to be enjoyed, not frowned upon and complained about.
What a delight it is to look out my front window and see that beautiful green space. It is a blessing. It is truly all in the eyes of the beholder. And those thriving yellow flowers that dot my lawn, I tackle them with a greater understanding and appreciation. I still shoo them out of my lawn, but not with such harsh and critical energy. If a pesky weed can be seen as a beautiful flower, who knows, maybe with such sight, we may even see a unicorn!
May you all enjoy a fantastic summer and take pause to enjoy God’s creation: the butterflies and rainbows, even the dandelions, and maybe even see the unicorns in our presence.
