How brave is a little crocus! There may still be frost on the ground, and the little crocus lifts its head anyway.

How brave is a dandelion! It will even grow between cracks in a sidewalk.

These little flowers never feel peremptory. They never feel they are bold or too bold. They just know they are planted in the earth in order to grow and blossom and, so, they enrich the world.

If a bulb and a weed can be so daring, cannot you?

What does a dandelion let hold it back? What excuses does a dandelion have for not blooming?

What do My children perhaps do to hold themselves back from blooming?

A dandelion doesn't think: "Someone will object to my proliferating myself on their lawn." A dandelion doesn't think: "They might use sprays. They might dig me. They will step on me. They won't like me."

A dandelion isn't dumb. It may well know that roses are preferred to himself. But he doesn't let that stop him. A dandelion knows his allegiance is to Me, and that's all he needs to know. That makes him strong. That makes him be himself whatever the obstacles might be. As a matter of fact, nothing is an obstacle for a dandelion. A dandelion deters all assaults. He hangs in there no matter what. No wonder a dandelion is considered a hardy weed! A dandelion doesn't take umbrage. That he is referred to as a hardy weed, well, he takes that as a compliment.

You can well learn from a dandelion. And a rose as well.

Dandelions need no thorns to protect them from the world. Their own stamina is enough. As for roses whose stems are supported with sharp thorns, roses know they are loved regardless. No one seems to say: "Roses have thorns. I won't like them."

Roses don't think: "If only I were perfect and did not carry thorns." No, roses love themselves as they are, thorns and all.

Would that My children would be hardy dandelions and roses, impervious to what someone else might say or think of them. Roses and dandelions are complete and worthy as they are. They do not, not even one of them, find fault with themselves. They accept their worthiness. And this is what I ask of you. This I ask of you: That you accept yourself as My beautiful dandelion, or My beautiful rose, if you prefer. Be my beautiful hardy weed, or be a sweet-smelling rose, or hyacinth, or iris, or gardenia, or peony or anything at all. How many names are there for flowers?

How many names are there for Human Beings? Too many to count. Call yourself by one name: God's Beautiful Child. Will you let that be enough for you? If others call you by other names or throw adjectives at you, pay attention to Me and not to name-callers. They are only name-callers. They don't know anything. They certainly don't know your name and your good standing with Me.

I will teach them. They will learn from Me by and by. You realize, of course, that name-callers would not be name-callers or adjective-throwers if they knew who they themselves were. I do not really label them as name-callers. I use the word as a term to identify to you those who call names as opposed to those who feel the blows of words. All are My beautiful children.

Have the strength of strong sturdy weeds and know that you are, in truth, a beautiful rose among roses. Roses too stand strong.

Whatever it is that you love most in the world, love yourself and everyone else the same way.