Roots
...consider
this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.
As
Josh dug a little deeper beside the crack in the driveway, he found
multiple roots spreading out in every direction. He was getting tired
of what he viewed as their destructive growth, forcing large parts of
the asphalt to heave and split.
The
tree causing the issue just happened to be the one he and his sons,
Matt and Scott, had planted years ago when they were just boys.
At
the time, he hadn't foreseen the potential problems from planting the
sapling within fifteen feet of the driveway, he was focused more on
it being time invested in his boys. It had always stood as a reminder
of the labor they'd shared, and how the boys had nurtured the tree
early on.
Now,
twenty years later, he was regretting his inexperience as a
horticulturist. Everywhere he dug the pesky roots showed up. The
sapling had taken hold in fertile ground and flourished, becoming a
large mossy oak!
In
spite of his frustration he smiled, remembering how proud the boys
were when the tree bloomed after its first winter. Looking into the
hole, Josh made a decision; the sentiment and meaning found in the
roots outweighed his irritation. To
heck with the driveway. I'll just keep patching it!
†
Roots
provide life-giving support for the tree. Digging deep, they do
everything they can to find and provide what the tree needs, letting
nothing stand as a barrier to their responsibility. As parents, we
try to do the same for our children.
Throughout
Country Recording Artist Parmalee's hit song, 'Roots', runs a
powerful message of family, home, and heritage, but at the heart of
the song is a telling lyric: “No, I can't outrun these roots, even
if I wanted to. Thank God I can't, their tangled up in every part of
who I am, without em I know I don't stand a chance!” Wow! To
recognize and embrace their familial heritage shows wisdom and
maturity.
Jesus
is the Root of Jesse, and He is the support our spiritual lives need.
His life and sacrifice provide us the ability to not only survive
but, like the tree in today's story, flourish in the face of
adversity. And just like Parmalee's assessment of their tangled
roots, without Jesus, we don't stand a chance.
Prayer
“Thank
You, Father God, for sending Jesus, our life-giving Root, Who
provides nourishment and strength for this life, and the security of
our eternal life. Amen!”
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