Day 86

You know, the concept of roots appears in every single book of the Bible--the idea of deep roots, the idea of spreading seeds, the notions of a firm foundation. If it appears that much, I think it is time that we pay a little bit more attention. In every book of the New Testament, the parable of the different kinds of seeds/soil is there. The seeds that just lay on the earth and never get fertilized, the seeds that are planted in shallow ground and quickly die, and the seeds that have good soil, great fertilizer, and loving hands to tend it.

I know that my roots used to be in the shallow soil. I had a foundation of Christ, but it wasn't very sturdy. It wasn't nurtured nor tended to. And that's why it would wither, that's why it would shrink, that's why I never blossomed. I really was nothing more than a shallow dandelion. I would blow away in the wind, and I was more of a weed than a beautiful flowering plant.

It's sad that I just now realized how much I have truly failed in my faith. My faith is supposed to be about spreading the seeds, nurturing others, fertilizing plants who are struggling, but, since my own foundation was so shallow, I was just struggling to survive.

I think it's a constant part of life to continually deepen your roots, like the oaks in the woods. Their roots spread far and wide and are so deep that it makes a horrible sound when they are pulled out from the soil. It's part of our life cycle to continually seek to spread our roots, to find the sunlight, the blossom during our season, and to spread our seeds to the farthest corners that the wind will take us.

I know that this is a little bit metaphorical. Okay, a lot metaphorical. But, it's really important to me to really understand my roots, to understand how fragile I am, and how much I need my gardener's hands to tend to me and help me grow.

God bless,
Lauren