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I watched my little 3-year old daughter giggle and blow a fluffy, white dandelion bald; the final glory of the once golden flower left effortlessly, and floated away to unforeseen places, where the tiny seeds, in the same image of the flower they left, will germinate and then sprout up green and strong again. Isn’t God’s way remarkable?
A mother is much like a dandelion. Her life, too, is only temporary. We will one day return to the ground just like the stem of that dandelion. But do we not, while we are here, have the brief opportunity to reproduce and plant the seeds of a whole new generation?
As we sow in the lives of our children, day in and day out, we do not see phenomenal changes. But then, as those children mature, they are “scattered” abroad to take root and revive our immortality, sowing in the lives of their children the things we sowed into theirs. Speaking words that we spoke; practicing traditions that we practiced; serving as we served; passing on the love of God that burned in our hearts.
And so, we need always to keep etched in the forefront or our minds, the powerful responsibility of our work as mothers, looking ahead to all the hundreds, yes thousands of little seeds bearing our image that will be planted after we are gone. And that vision will keep us vigilant against a world that is frightened of that power, and therefore seeks to stifle it.
Dandelions and mothers—yes, they are much the same. Let every dandelion you blow be such a reminder.
(Reposted from archives)
12 comments
Thank you for casting vision.
We are conditioned to think in a short term, disposable/replaceable mentality. His people are told to think in terms of generations. We must understand our roles as more than fathers and mothers, but patriarchs and matriarchs.
Your blog reminds me of Psalm 78:
1 O my people, hear my teaching;
listen to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter hidden things, things from of old-
3 what we have heard and known,
what our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children;
we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD,
his power, and the wonders he has done.
5 He decreed statutes for Jacob
and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our forefathers
to teach their children,
6 so the next generation would know them,
even the children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.
7 Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forget his deeds
but would keep his commands.
8 They would not be like their forefathers—
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
whose spirits were not faithful to him.
You are creating a testimony to your heritage and the heritage of your children’s children. You are a matriarch.
Your words are sobering…they bring tears and I can only pray that God would use some words I’ve written here….in the vein of planting seeds, HE alone brings the increase.
He already has and He will continue!
Psalm 126:5 Those who sow in tears
will reap with songs of joy.
Beautiful Kelly! 😉
“Speaking words that we spoke…serving as we served.” Thank you for this reminder. I already see three little me’s and sometimes I am wishing they did what I said and not what I do.
What a wonderful analogy. Some days I do lose that long-term vision in the midst of diapers, tears and laundry. Thank you for the reminder of how fleeting it all is and how important these days are!
Had a rough night last night…needed this. Long haul focus it is!
This summer my three year old daugher asked her daddy, “What flower is this?”
Daddy,”A Dandelion.”
Daughter,”Roar”.
May all my mommy friends “Roar” for the passion the Lord has set before us. Thank you Kelly for you beautiful word picture that brings such encouagement.
I had a rough day today and just wanted to quit… Thank you for your encouragement.
Amen !!!!!
Cathy 🙂
[…] Dandelions and Mothers @ Generation Cedar made me a little weepy as I think of my sweet tots heading out into the world without me but it is so important to have long-term vision. Lord, help me to prepare them the way you would have me to so they are ready! […]
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