Recently, during a spring storm, we lost a beautiful Bradford Pear tree in our front yard. It blew right over, narrowly missing our house. The days that followed involved getting the tree cut up for firewood, and the branches hauled away to the compost center. Now the planting bed in the front yard stood like a blank canvass for my wife Deb who loves to plant and plan in her gardens.
Soon a new Crepe Myrtle tree was planted along with a whole assortment of new plants, decorations, driftwood, and some decorative rocks along with new mulch. It looks beautiful!
But soon I began to notice something. Here and there around the yard were these small sprouts emerging from the grass. I soon realized that the little sprouts were from the underground roots of the original Bradford Pear tree. The old tree was gone completely! But the roots underneath were still alive and trying to grow!
While those sprouts may be seen as invasive, I can’t help but look at them and think of our spiritual lives! There are times in life when the storms blow and trouble may come. We might even feel as though hope is gone. But if we have allowed Christ to indwell our lives as Lord & Savior, and have rooted ourselves deep in His unchanging, trustworthy Word, then even those hard times, those times of loss, those times when all feels blown away … even in those times the life of Christ in us will sprout with new green life!
We may feel defeated. The Enemy may seem to have won. But our roots with Christ will live! And from those roots will spring new life!
So no matter what’s going on in your life today. Are the storm winds blowing? Has the storm in your life caused destruction? The roots of Christ in you, His Word planted in your heart and mind, will live! They will sprout! You can trust Him completely!
“…I kneel before the Father, from whom His whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have the power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and how long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know His love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:14-19 NIV)
Dear ones, when the showers of blessing come and the journey is sweet, send your roots deep in Christ and His Word. For when trouble comes … and it will … those roots, even if all seems devastation and destruction, will continue to nurture your soul and your life!
Rooted Deep in Christ!
Larry Dentler, CBC Executive Board
