#presence by: Julie Wicker
Presence means the state or fact of existing, occurring, or being present in a place or thing. I had already felt the nudge that “presence” needed to be my word for the week. Last weekend as we were traveling, that word was confirmed. On a country road, I drove through a sea of flying dandelions. There was so many flying in the air, it looked like snow for a moment. Immediately this image triggered a thought of the Holy Spirit carry us, guiding us, being present with us. Other than knowing a dandelion can be a pesky weed I felt the need to know more.

A Dandelion’s official name is “Taraxacum Officinale”. It starts out as a yellow blossom that matures into a puff ball. The white fuzz is attached to a seed that acts as a parachute. When the seed parachute is taken by a strong breeze it gets planted somewhere else and grows once again into a Dandelion. This weed even knows to close like an umbrella before the rain comes. The seed reminded me of us as God’s children. The parachutes reminded me of the presence of Holy Spirit guiding us along, planting us to grow as His disciples.
Just yesterday, I wanted hot tea and realized I still had some Roasted Dandelion Root Tea which is used as an herbal supplement to support healthy digestion. On the box it states that the personality of a Dandelion Root is resilient, tough, and supportive. The intricacies of the Dandelion leave me in Awe of God’s creation. The thought that God equipped man to use the root of this flower to create a tea amazes me as well. In my mind, the Dandelion is now a flower and not a pesky weed.
This week in a Max Lucado devotional, he said every flower is a fingerprint of God’s spirit. He referenced the scripture Acts 1:8 NIV; “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”. Just like the flower, God leaves his fingerprint on us with the Holy Spirit.
In another devotional by Steven Furtick, he talked about a Remnant which means a small remaining quantity of something. Steven says, God is going to bless what’s left. The scripture he references was from Isa 28:5 NIV; “In that day the Lord almighty will be a glorious crown, a beautiful wreath for the remnant of his people”. I think about what’s left of that Dandelion as the little seed parachutes leave, yet the Lord blesses that seed parachute (a remnant of the Dandelion) into a new flower.
To recap this week, we have talked about God’s presence through His name Immanuel & Emmanuel, meaning God is with us. We talked about how peace is not the absence of trouble, but rather the presence of Jesus. We also talked about how God is Omnipresent, everywhere always. Last, we talked about how God uses the Holy Spirit today to help us step out of our comfort zone. Now through the Dandelion, you will have the image of the Holy Spirit carrying you along the way.
Today I want to share with you that God’s presence is the fullness of Joy. I encourage you to open your bible and read Ps 16:11. I want you to think about how God’s presence brings you Joy. For me the drive on that country rode brought me a little piece of Joy that day. God will always provide it; we just have to open our eyes to see it, feel it, and experience it.