Devotionals for the Heart: What Dandelions Taught Me About God

A Life Lesson Learned from Dandelions
A devotional by Tessa Huckstep

“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”—2 Corinthians 12:9 (KJV)

A few weeks ago, I took a long walk down the gravel road near my home.

The weather was warm and refreshing after an unusually cold week in April. It had recently rained and the creek flowing beneath the narrow concrete bridge was gushing over the rocks before settling in the calm pool a little further down the creek.

On that particular day, dandelions were everywhere, and I had collected quite the bouquet.

Feeling curious, I stood at the bridge and broke the stems off the dandelions, dropping the dandelion blossoms over the edge. I wanted—and expected—the dandelions to land perfectly in the flowing water. But they didn’t. The blossoms would land upside down in the water so only the short, stubby stem was visible. I tried dropping them more gently and even waited for the breeze to calm, but nothing worked. Not even my best efforts would place those dandelions right side up in the creek.

But then, something unexpected happened. The calm water carried my dandelion blossoms to the rocks. The water rushed over the rocks and through the troubled waters, my little dandelion blossoms turned right side up and floated elegantly into the calm pool—just as I wanted them to.

This experience taught me a life lesson. I learned that my best efforts were not enough. So often, this is the case for many of us. We try so hard to make everything absolutely perfect, but the harder we try, the more of a disaster we create. It is our natural tendency to simply ‘try harder’ when things do not work out as we want them to. For years we have been told by our culture that we can accomplish anything if we only try harder. Culture and other influences have told us continuously that failure is weakness. And weakness can only bring about shame. Shame that we did not do enough. Or worse, shame that we personally are not enough.

Even as Christians we do our best to hide our weaknesses. When we are unable to accomplish a task, we make excuses and find a way to dismiss ourselves of responsibility. As Christians, shouldn’t we be joyful in our weakness? Paul was certainly joyful in his weakness. In fact, Paul would glory in his weakness. Paul was joyful in his weakness because he knew it was the best way to bring glory to God (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Consider Moses—he had a speech problem and God chose him to lead the nation of Israel. Why would God choose someone who was completely unqualified for the task? God chose Moses because his weakness would bring God the most glory (Exodus 4:10-12). His strength is made perfect in weakness.

The idea of weakness is such a troubling idea to most of us because it takes true humility to accept it. Humility involves taking the spotlight off of us and placing it on God. We would have to acknowledge that we cannot do everything on our own and that God is the one who should receive all the praise and the glory.

One truth I would like to assure you with, dear reader, is this: If it is God’s will, He will make it happen. I know that most Christians believe this intellectually, but many of us do not hold this truth in our hearts. God is going to take care of you even if your life seems a little upside down right now. You may have to cross the troubled water. You may have to face a few trials. But you are exactly where He wants you to be. Through all the ups and downs—all your mistakes and shortcomings—His strength is being made perfect.

Not a single dandelion grows beyond our God’s notice. And I assure you, dear reader, God is going to take care of you and turn your world right side up.

Let’s Pray: Dear Lord, thank You for taking our weakness and using it for Your glory. Teach us to be humble and search for opportunities to give You praise. Our lives are in Your hands, and we entrust our past, present, and future to You. Help us to know Your love for us that we may be able to live it out each day through faith. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

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Note from Alexis: Tessa’s devotional message reminds me of two songs, “I Will Go” by Crystal Lewis (Listen to it here) and “His Strength is Perfect” by CeCe Winans (Listen to it here).

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Author Bio:

Tessa Huckstep grew up in rural Illinois to Christian parents and has known Jesus personally since the age of five.

She is currently attending community college and majoring in elementary education. In the future, she plans to teach in the public school, hoping to bring the love of God with her.

God’s dream of Tessa becoming a writer was revealed to her at the age of sixteen and she hasn’t been able to stop since. Though she has not yet been published, Tessa enjoys writing historical romance novels and speculative fiction.

Tessa believes God loves stories, and through her writing, she wants to reveal the happily ever after God dreams of for each of his daughters—one where Jesus is the knight in shining armor.

Tessa loves all things Georgian/Regency, needlework, and dainty teacups of every size. When she isn’t writing or studying for exams, Tessa can be found in the kitchen with more flour in her hair and on the floor than in the mixing bowl, though the mess is always half the fun!

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Connect with Tessa:
Blog: https://beautifulbeloved937002841.wordpress.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beloved.bookworm/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/101227159

Devotionals for the Heart: Taking a moment to reflect on God's Creation

Creation Sings
A devotional by Christa MacDonald

“The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” 

–Psalm 19:1 (NIV)

Not sure about you, but this week I think I finally reached peak media exhaustion. It seems as though the news cycle lately has been an unending supply of badness. I want to just say, “One thing at a time, please!” Like a lot of folks, I feel overloaded and overwhelmed.

If you’re an ‘80s kid like me, you may remember the comic strip “Bloom County.” When the news got to be too much for the characters they would take a “dandelion break” where they’d go off into a field and sit in a patch of dandelions. I loved that image so much that I used to draw little dandelion patches in my notebooks. It was a reminder to me that God’s creation was a place where I could go to find peace.

During college, at those times when it all got to be too much, I’d go to a beach near my campus where giant rocks formed a seawall of sorts. I’d climb to the top and lean into the wind with my arms outstretched. It seemed like leaning into Creation’s arms. At the time, I didn’t question why I was there or what I was getting from it. Now I understand that I was doing it to feel closer to God, to cast myself at Jesus’s feet. My faith was off in the weeds and seeking solace in God’s creation was a way to keep going and find my way back to the path.

In the verse above, the psalmist is reminding us that all of creation declares the glory of God. Romans 1:20 (NIV) says, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” Nature, the very earth, can’t help but preach God’s glory. It’s in every leaf, every creature, the air itself. That verse makes me think of the scientists whose journey to faith began by studying God’s creation and questioning their own atheism.

We all know that getting outside in the fresh air is good for us, but I’d suggest that for Christians, reflecting on the glory of God’s creation can do even more. It can call us out of our fear and anxiety and remind us just whose we are.

Think of the last time you saw a sunset so intense that the air around you seemed to have color. Or perhaps the ocean when a storm is brewing and the waves are high. For me, sitting in my back yard, leaning back and staring up at a clear, blue sky and seeing a pure white heron flying overhead is a soul-deep experience. For that matter, so is watching the progress of seedlings pushing through the dirt and stretching for the sun.

All of creation sings the praises of God. When things are getting grim, find a way to take a dandelion break. Get out in His creation and let it call your heart to praise. I pray that you also find peace and strength to keep your feet on the path, walking humbly with your God, to keep sharing the Gospel with this fallen world in the time and place that God has given you.

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Author Bio:

Christa MacDonald is a 2017 ACFW Carol Award finalist for contemporary Christian fiction.

A native New Englander, she was inspired by her travels through the north woods of Maine to write The Broken Trail, which would become the first in the Sweet River Redemption series published by Mountain Brook Ink.

Christa's writing focuses on the real-life challenges of the modern world, love’s sometimes crooked path, and the redemptive power of Grace.

When not working or writing Christa can be found ferrying her kids around, reading, or attempting something crafty.

She and her husband live with their three kids, two cats, and one dog along the coast of New England. Connect with Christa at www.christamacdonald.com.