ROOTS
My little house sits beneath a canopy of trees.
I am grateful for them. They provide beauty,
relief from the summer sun and they are a home to many things that
delight my family; a tree house, a tire swing and lots of little
creatures …birds, owls, squirrels, chipmunks and even
raccoons. These trees are strong and mighty and they have fought
off many storms. When the weather gets fierce, I hear them
battle the wind and I wince at the thought of one of them
crashing to the ground. But they still stand.
They stand tall because their roots are strong. I did a little
research on roots as to not strain myself thinking back to
high school biology. Here is what I learned.
Roots store essential food reserves, absorb and
transport water and minerals from the soil to the tree
and they provide an anchor for the tree.
I think God created moms to be like trees;
to display His splendor, His beauty for all to see,
to provide comfort and protection beneath her branches,
to welcome the living to find a home within her shelter,
to produce fruit, fruit that sustains her family.
This fruit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self control.
(Galatians 5:22-23)
We brave the storms
and wrestle winds with courage and tenacity.
We are a stronghold for all who find rest beneath our covering,
but only if we have roots…strong, growing, thriving roots.
Jesus wants to be your roots.
He wants to speak to you through his word, the Bible,
and give you every nutrient you need to grow.
He wants you to absorb his teachings and let them
permeate your life and transform you.
He wants to be your anchor,
holding you as you meet life’s challenges.
So how do we begin to grow our roots?
We read the Bible…
Blessed is the one who delights in the law of the Lord (the Bible),
and on it she meditates day and night.
She is like a tree planted by streams of water,
producing her fruit in season.
Her leaves will not wither and
whatever she does prospers.
(Psalm 1:1-3)
Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
her confidence is in Him.
She will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
She does not fear when the heat comes;
her leaves are always green.
She has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.
(Jeremiah 17:7-8)
You may not feel like magnificent tree.
I know there are days I certainly don’t.
The good news is that Jesus calls you just as you are.
He binds up broken hearts,
He brings freedom,
He rescues,
He comforts
And he wants to give you a crown of beauty
and clothe you with praise.
He will call you an oak of righteousness,
His own planting,
For the display of His splendor.
(Isaiah 61:1-3)
Begin today.
Pray and ask Jesus to ground you in Him.
Open His Word this week and spend some time
growing your roots.
~written by Rachel McKenna
