Hope and Dandelions

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” Hebrews 6:19.

Hope I’m finding, and the promise of hope, is a key to true life; true life being more than just living. It is being alive with a purpose and an energy and a sense of joy found simply in the gift of life.

For me an opportunity arose to discover a tried, and a true, hope.

More often than not, humanity keeps a negative outlook on difficult circumstances.  It is our automatic fallback.

In trying to push aside all that has fallen apart in my life, I have continually searched for the path God has for me. This is not a simple task of just brushing aside those things in life that I have lost.  Believe me, there have been countless dreams crushed (those of sports, activities with high school friends, rigorous studies), where it appeared that God removed them without showing His regret. At least it felt like God hasn’t understood  

all that I wanted and loved.  I know, of course, that He has a plan for my life and that His ways are above my ways.  I also recognize that He understands fully the struggles of this world. However- it is one thing to know in your mind, and another altogether to feel this in your heart when enduring great trials.

Nonetheless, even though my courage wavers, I will not give up on my life or on finding the path that I have to follow; one that will not collapse on me.

This would be where the hope comes in.

For some reason hope and love are closely linked in my mind. When I am feeling most hopeless, I realize that I am also feeling immensely alone. However, when I begin to remember others, to reach out to them, and to love them, there is suddenly a point to the world. I am not here to live for myself and love myself, but to live for and love others- with everything I have.

Even when the darkest days come over me, if I am able to remember that I still have the capability to love others, I rejoice.

Last Saturday I had the opportunity to serve at a workday at my church. On these days many people come together and give their time to help clean, weed, and repair the church building itself. When I decided to go, it was more of my mind that decided, not my body. My body was weak and nauseous and rejected even the thought of work. But this is not a praise note for myself for having “heroically” attended. Rather, my point to the setting was that it was a darker day, and with help from above, I was able to go and serve.

After the first 15 minutes, a little girl approached me and began to talk to me. She showed me the great dandelions she had picked, and was beaming with excitement.  Remembering times from when I was little, I immediately praised the weeds and told her if she could pick 10 more, I would teach her how to make them into a crown. Grinning, she ran off to complete the task. When she returned, we took a seat in the shade on the cool grass and began to chat. Asking each other questions, I slowly showed her how to insert one dandelion into the other to make them into a circle. She quickly picked up the idea and called them “dandelion chains”. After we finished she seemed unsure of our creation, and had me wear it. I went back to finish my raking chore, and only minutes after I began to see other workers with dandelion chains on their heads. I looked around and saw her on the grass diligently crafting dandelions with a large pile of yellow and green at her side. I felt humbled to see that by simply loving someone else and giving them some time and attention, you can open up their world.

As my world continues to gradually close I long to increase my love towards others, to help open up their own, and give whatever small gifts I have to bless another.