Roots...

Have you ever seen an Australian Red Cedar tree? They are altogether magnificent. It is difficult to gaze upon a red cedar and not be utterly amazed by its beauty and grandeur. These trees are tall and strong. Their branches reach out far and wide so that their leafy foliage casts a thick blanketing shadow on the earth below. The wood of these trees is beautiful and highly sought after by master craftsmen. As with most cedars, this one has a rich fragrance that seeps in and delivers a sense of warmth to you very soul. If I were a bird, I would nest in a Red Cedar. Well, in the spring time I would...


The cedar tree is deciduous. During the winter its leaves fall away and it is left bare and exposed to the elements. In essence, its beauty falls away, and for the long months of winter the Red Cedar is more haunting than beautiful. The seasons can be harsh. But the cedar tree knows how to survive.

To become so magnificent  the cedar tree needs to be well grounded. For this to happen, the cedar tree must drive its roots deep into the soil. The purpose here is two-fold. Firstly, a good and healthy root system enables the cedar to stand in all its glory through all seasons. These trees are big. To simply stand under the weight of their splendor means that their roots must be deeply grounded in solid soil. Secondly, it is from the soil that these trees find their nourishment, especially when the seasons are harsh.

We are not so very different from the Red Cedar. If we are to become something magnificent and be able to stand firm through all of the seasons of life, we need to consider where we lay our roots...

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith - that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God... (Ephesians 3:14-19)

The season I find myself in is harsh. The winter has been long and bleak. But I am thankful to know that I am rooted and grounded in love. The winter will not last forever, and even he spring will bring new challenges with it. But I know the one who holds me and nourishes me. His love is real, and the hope He offers is secure. Healing seldom comes in the form explaination. The hurt is never numbed in anyway by answers. But the strength to stand in the midst of suffering comes from love. This is the key to freedom, being rooted and grounded in love.

No matter what season you are in, tend to your roots. If you don't know how, ask the Father who is in heaven to show you. He answers prayer and He promises that whoever searches for Him in earnest, will find Him. Read you Bible, from there you will find nourishment for your soul. If you don't know where to start, read one of the gospels to find out who Jesus is - my personal favourite is John. Jesus Christ is the best friend you will ever know.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)

 

Image from Google.