Smashed Dandelions & Beautiful Plans

Can we give up all for the love of God?

When the surrender of ourselves seems to much to ask,

it is first of all because our thoughts about God Himself are paltry.

We have not really seen Him,

we have hardly tested Him at all and learned how good He is.

In our blindness we approach Him with suspicious reserve.

We ask how much of our fun He intends to spoil,

how much He will demand from us,

how high is the price we must pay before He is placated.

If we had the least notion of His loving-kindness

and tender mercy,

His fatherly care for His poor children,

His generosity,

His beautiful plans for us;

if we knew how patiently He waits for our turning to Him,

how gently He means to lead us to green pastures and still waters,

how carefully He is preparing a place for us,

how ceaselessly He is ordering

and ordaining

and engineering

His Master Plan for our good--

if we had any inkling of all this,

could we be reluctant to let go of our smashed dandelions

or whatever we clutch so fiercely in our sweaty little hands?"

-Elisabeth Elliot

Take my ashes.

I trade them in for beauty

I will wear forgiveness like a crown.