Snowdrops and Daisies
by Lindsey Hanekom
A while ago, whilst admiring a small bunch of snowdrops on a table, God asked me, “When are you going to stop being a snowdrop and start being a daisy?” Slightly bemused, I waited for a bit more clarification to the meaning of this rather bizarre question.
I closed my eyes and remembered the snowdrops I had seen that morning as I walked through the dark shadows of the woodland. I saw their heads hanging down, gazing only at the patch of frosty ground beneath them. Snowdrops are able to survive the cold, harsh, winter weather. When the sun shines, their heads continue to hang down as if bracing themselves for the next onslaught.
As I considered the daisy, I saw a wide-open flower basking in the warm, summer sun. Lying in the open, on a bed of a luscious, grass lawn and gazing into the expanse of a rich, blue sky; the daisy enjoys the goodness of summertime.
Again, the question came to me, “When are you going to stop being a snowdrop and start being a daisy?” When was I going to stop living my life with my head down, trying to survive when there was so much warmth and sunshine to enjoy? When was I going to stop staring downwards to find security in myself and my small world and choose to live in the enjoyment and freedom of a wide-open space?
Sometimes it is easier to choose to live in a small, safe world of self-reliance and self-protection rather than enjoy the openness of a vulnerable, yet abundant and full life. We feel secure in a small, restricted place, where we are in control, rather than risk enjoying a warm and open place, where we are solely reliant upon God’s nurture, protection and care.
It is only in openness and vulnerability with God that we can truly drink in all the goodness that He has for us. Then we will find the joy of his promised abundant life.
Prayer: Thank you Lord that you are the source of all that is good. I recognise that I am not fully open to you and all that you have for me. I see that I sometimes choose to protect myself rather than make myself vulnerable to you. Help me to trust you more so that I can enjoy life to its fullness. I willingly choose today to move from my life of limitations and survival to the good and abundant life promised to me in your Word. In Jesus` name, Amen.
Lindsey Hanekom Lindsey has worked at all of our UK centres over the years and has settled at Ellel Scotland with her husband, Johann and their two young children, Kyle and Zoe. As part of the Leadership Team at Ellel Scotland, Lindsey has a heart for the deeply broken as she oversees the prayer ministry and is an established and passionate teacher with Ellel. In her spare time, Lindsey enjoys the natural world, particularly the ocean, and is trained as a specialist medic to assist stranded and injured marine mammals.
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