The Dandelion Story

The Beauty of Perspective and Rediscovering Childlike Wonder

I remember one spring when we first moved into our current house, the backyard was covered in a blanket of yellow dandelions. I despised it.

But let me set the stage. My father is an exacting and obsessive caretaker of pristine lawns, and unsurprisingly, I grew up just like him. I detested this loathsome weed that threatened to overrun my vision of a serene and unbroken expanse of green around our home.

Every day, as I turned onto the street leading to our new house, the frustration mounted. It wasn't just a mental annoyance of having so many dandelions in my yard; it manifested as genuine physical frustration. The frustration seeped deep into my bones.

One Saturday morning, possibly the day I had intended to treat the lawn and eradicate the weeds, our sweet five-year-old Caroline gazed out the window in awe. At first, I wasn't sure what had captured her attention, but it quickly became apparent as she exclaimed, in the most innocent and enthusiastic voice, "Those are the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen, Daddy!"

I sat there in silence. What a blow to the gut. I was completely taken aback.

Yet, Caroline was right. Why hadn't I seen it that way myself? How could I have beheld something so unimaginably and miraculously beautiful all along and still been so instinctively repulsed by its sight? What I regarded as a bothersome weed in dire need of elimination, Caroline saw as a genuine floral masterpiece adorning her very own yard, filling her with amazement and delight.

It may have been the first time in my life when I grasped the profound impact our perspective has on how we perceive and experience this world.

Unlike me, Caroline hadn't accumulated years upon years of biases and influences that shaped her outlook on the world, other people, or herself. She could see a world surprising her with the gift of tiny, yellow flowers in her backyard. She could discern the beauty, while my distorted lenses revealed nothing but a hideous curse that required immediate action.

Isn't it remarkable how two individuals can gaze upon the same thing and perceive it so differently?

Perhaps that's why most children find it easier to discover those places where heaven and earth overlap, where they encounter perfect freedom and perfect love, where they uncover the wholeness, completeness, and harmony in all things. It's because they haven't been battle-scarred and wearied by life. They still possess untarnished eyes, wide open and capable of perceiving the world without the fractured lenses that distort their perception of people, situations, and the world around them.

The truth is, children remain receptive to awe and wonder, the inherent goodness in all people and things, and a sense that the only moment that truly matters is the one they are currently living in.

It's no wonder Jesus said that unless we become like little children, we will never truly experience the embrace of heaven and earth. We will never be able to immerse ourselves in the perfect freedom and perfect love of God. We will never fully receive the promised shalom. Embracing childlike qualities opens our hearts and awakens our lives to awe and wonder. It enables us to rediscover the inherent goodness in all people and things, and births within us a profound appreciation for the present moment—the only moment that truly matters.*

Reflection

1. Reflect on how you see others and the world around you. When was the last time you found yourself overlooking beauty or dismissing something as insignificant, and how might adopting a childlike perspective help you rediscover the hidden wonders around you?

Peace,

Brandon

*This modified story originally appeared in Beauty in the Wreckage: Finding Peace in the Age of Outrage.

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I revealed the cover for my new book And So By Fire this past week. Presales will begin soon. The official launch date is August 15th. I will also put the What Can’t Be Hidden cover below. They look great together! I wanted the imagery of Water and Fire. Check them out.