In the eye of the beholder

When is a weed not a weed?  In the past couple of weeks I have seen two of my neighbours attempting to scrape away the weeds which have been appearing between the paving blocks in their front drives.  I made the comment to one neighbour that weeding is a never-ending job.  She agreed, commenting that she had spent a long time attempting to remove all the dandelions from her back garden. 

The dandelion is generally regarded as a perennial weed that spreads very easily from from seed and roots.  In the past, I have been eager to remove dandelions from the garden as quickly as possible.  In more recent years, however, I have come to appreciate the dandelion as a beautiful flower in its own right.  To see a field of brightly coloured dandelions is a beautiful sight.

Not only that, but I was recently reminded of the several potential health benefits of the dandelion:

• Dandelions are highly nutritious; from root to flower, dandelion are highly nutritious plants, loaded with vitamins, minerals and fibre.

• Dandelion are full of potent antioxidants, which are molecules that help neutralize or prevent the negative effects of free radicals in one’s body.

• There is some suggestion that dandelions could be used in a whole range of other potential health benefits, including to help fight inflammation, aid blood sugar control, reduce cholesterol, reduce blood pressure, promote a healthy liver, aid weight loss, fight cancer etc. (if you want to read more see here).

This humble little plant, thought worthless and disregarded by many, has more to it than is first thought.  I am happy when I see dandelions in my garden (in ‘reasonable’ numbers!)  They are a reminder of the old saying about beauty being in the eye of the beholder.  Jesus used the illustration of ‘the flowers of the field' in his teaching.  The dandelion can certainly teach us how beauty can be seen in the apparently unwanted.  Jesus himself was roundly condemned by the religious leaders for associating himself with the disregarded of his society.  The religious leaders saw no value in such people, but Jesus treated them with dignity and compassion.  In God’s eyes, all are precious (even you and me!)