Dandelions are my heroes! Long live dandelions! Never thought I’d say that, but I’m saying it now. We have had below freezing temperatures here and even some snow BUT – I was again picking both yellow and silver fuzz dandelions out of my front yard yesterday – in December! Do dandelions ever die? I thought the cold weather would kill them but apparently it’s had no effect whatsoever. It must be the dandelion’s deep roots that sustain them during these decidedly adverse conditions of winter.

That’s why dandelions are my new heroes. Dandelions persevere. They don’t give up. Dandelions not only defy death, but they continue to multiply even when other plants have gone dormant. Just when I think I’ve won the war, just when I think it’s over, the dandelions make a comeback. That’s what’s happened in my yard. I thought I had defeated the dandelions, but they are proving me wrong day after day with their new yellow blooms and silver fluff balls continuing to mysteriously appear in my yard as if by magic.

At this point in the war, I am not only willing to call a truce, I am willing to concede my loss and declare the dandelions are the victors. And not only the victors but as I said, perhaps my new role models. If the dandelions can survive and thrive in their adverse conditions, then certainly I can too. I just need to take a lesson from their playbook – I need to have really deep roots, so when tough times come bringing drought, depression, despair, darkness, doubt – I won’t be shaken. My faith will remain not only intact, but strong and growing. Jeremiah describes exactly this kind of person –

“But blessed is the man who trust in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

I think Jeremiah could have said – “He will be like a dandelion” and it would still ring true! Another description of those with deep roots is given to us by the psalmist when he said –

“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, ‘The Lord is upright; He is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in Him.’ ” (Psalm 92:12-15)

It’s all about how deep the roots go, I guess. Roots are beneath the surface. You don’t see them but when the time is right, they produce something visible, something beautiful when you least expect it, when you believed everything to be beyond hope because you believed it to be dead.

The Israelites endured four hundred years of God’s silence. After the last of God’s prophets passed on, there was no one left to speak a new word to God’s people. There was only silence. No new word from God. Only the echo of the old words, the old promises made, promises still unfulfilled, promises of a Messiah, of a Savior who would arise out of seeming nothingness to rescue His people from their desperate plight. Isaiah alluded to this hope saying –

“A shoot will come from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him – the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord – and He will delight in the fear of the Lord.” (Isaiah 11:1-3)

Did you catch that? – from roots will come a fruit bearing Branch. Fruit bearing means life giving. Paul quotes Isaiah in Romans saying this about “God’s root” –

“And again, Isaiah says, ‘The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in Him.’ ” (Romans 15:12)

These prophesies are talking about the birth of Jesus, who is a descendant of Jesse, who is the father of David. Roots remain and give life. After four hundred years of silence and darkness, this root gave rise to the promised new life of the Messiah – Jesus. (and you thought this wasn’t an Advent post) When roots remain, new life will come again. That’s what we are celebrating at Christmas – that in the middle of the darkness, when everything appeared dead- when the Israelites were doubting God, thinking He had forgotten His promise to send them a Savior – new life entered in.

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” (Isaiah 9:2)

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’ ” (John 8:12)

That’s the message of Advent – the root has come to life and has given life to you and to me and to all who will receive God’s gift – the Root of Jesse – Jesus Christ.

“For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over His kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)

sincerely, Grace Day