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Posts Tagged ‘roots’

Stretch to Grow

Posted in Devotional, Life Experiences, Nature, tagged , , , , , , , on April 26, 2020| 2 Comments »

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.  Colossians 2:6-7

Three years ago I posted the saga of my now 45-year-old corn plant. Back then, at about 3 1/2 feet tall, it had pretty much stagnated in growth. Today it has grown to 5 feet high.

Why am I telling you this?  First, in my new space, it has a more constant, diffused light. Southern exposure provides it a soft, strong source of continuous sunrays. And it has taken off.

I recently did something else to it. My son and I transplanted it into a much larger pot. It had become root-bound. Poor thing. One bag of enriched soil later, it was safely settled into its new surroundings and place back by in the southern exposure window it loves. NOw it has stretched its leaves to a full, luscious green canopy.

So, why am I telling you this??? Are we not the same? We all love our comfort zones, but we don’t grow well in familiarity. Life is about change. If change doesn’t occur, how will we grow? How will we expand our thoughts, stretch our imaginations, and flourish in our faith?

Sometimes I think God puts us in new situations for our own good. We have become root-bound, wound up in our own little world. We need to have fresh fertile soil and new boundaries to reach out.

One thing I know from experience is that God always makes good out of difficult situations. I see a lot of good coming out of this pandemic. People have reevaluated what is important. Many have turned back to God for answers, support, and comfort. Neighbors who barely knew each other are pitching in to help each other, even if it is at six feet distances. Folks are more “other conscious” and friendly. There is a bond that grows from shared experiences that strengthens cities, communities, and people. It is like the mortar joining bricks in a wall.

Maybe we’ve just been transplanted into a larger situation right now. It may feel uncomfortable to unwind from our tightly-balled comforts, but as we extend out, we will grow…stronger, better, and more beautiful as long as we dig our roots into the One who gave us life, and by His merciful grace extends it into eternity for those who believe.

And the more we bask in continuous soft and nourishing Light of The Word, we will grow in the right direction.  Standing tall in our faith, rooted in Christ.

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Rooted

Posted in Christian, Devotional, Nature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on February 4, 2020| 1 Comment »

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 power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. Ephesians 3:16-18

Today in Bible study, my priest referred to unbelievers as cut flowers. They look like they are alive, but they have been cut off from the roots, so they can no longer grow. They are, in essence, dead and soon will show it. Christ brings life, but those cut off from God by sin will die, just as Adam and Eve did.

My mind wandered to the ivy cuttings I’ve had immersed in a vase of water in my windowsill for months. That water has kept them alive. I noticed a few days ago they were finally producing roots.

Jesus said He is the Living Water (John 7:38). Because of original sin, we have all been cut off from the root of Life, i.e. God.  In order to grow, we must produce new roots, and the best way to do that is to immerse ourselves in the presence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the water who provides the Truth and the Life.

So all those “cut flowers” out there need exposure to the love of Christ. We need to help them see they want to be saturated with the Living Water through baptism in the Holy Spirit so they, too, can begin to grow roots and thrive.

I realized that, like my ivy, I need to have more patience with those believers who are not yet leading fruitful lives. We all grow at our own pace, and I need to do what I can to help make sure they stay doused in the Living Water. I, too, need to grow, so I also must stay in the Living Water…daily immersed in His Word, His Truth, and His love. We all do.

Don’t ever let the devil yank you out! But if he does, my friend, trust me. There will be people praying you back into the Living Water where you can grow again. If you ever asked Jesus into your heart, you are rooted in Christ.

 

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Winds

Posted in Christian, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , on February 18, 2016| 3 Comments »

Today it is very windy in North Texas. We are under a Wind Advisory. As I notice the tree branches outside my window, I think of my life.

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There are times when, like the branches, everything seems still. Calm.

But other times, things shake up a bit. I feel bent in a new direction. Jostled.

However, as with the trees, I have firm roots… I call it faith. I have learned to dig my to spiritual toes deeper into the soil and hang on during the windy days in my life. I pray nothing will topple me. I can almost feel God holding me up as events whip around me.

Wind does some good things for trees. Wind shakes off the dust and pollen. (Yes, a lot of us are sniffling because of that.) Leaves and tiny twigs fall that are either dead or perhaps too thick, not allowing light in.

During those times in my life, is the same thing happening? Are some bad habits being swished away as I rely more and more on my Savior for strength and stability? Perhaps I shake the dust off my routine prayer and mediation time to read the Bible more – really read it, inwardly digest it, and put into practice its truths.  A few dead things I have been carrying around with me fall to the wayside.

Today is a windy day. Thank you Lord for reminding me that is a good thing. Shake me up a bit today. I think I need it.

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I Want to Be a Cypress

Posted in Devotional, Nature, tagged , , , , , , , on December 10, 2015| 3 Comments »

Our riverThat person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields it fruit in season and whose leaf does nto wither; whatever they do prospers. (Psalm 1:3)

I spent my summers as a youth at my grandfather’s cabin on the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country. It’s still my favorite place to visit. I always find God’s peaceful presence during a stroll along the riverfront.

Ancient cypress trees line the banks, their roots shooting deep into the river. Their bows tower overhead, a celestial highway for squirrels and a welcome shade from the Texas summer heat. Some of the cypress are bent towards the river in skewed angles, ravished by centuries of pounding floodwaters. Yet, they stand, produce plump fragrant cypress balls, and each spring burst into an array of green which casts dancing shadows along the riverbank. Their trunks expand in circumference and their roots spread to hug the bank in sturdy strength.

When I look at these cypress trees, they bring to mind a strong, firm faith in God that is solidly founded and deeply rooted in His Word, the Living Water. May my faith be that way. When life floods in and pressures me, I might bend, but I won’t break because of the sturdiness of my faith. I want the fruit of my labor to be as fragrant as those cypress balls, and my prayers a sheltering for others from the harshness of this world–just as the cypress limbs are a shade from the hot rays of the summer sun.

However, my circumference, like the cypress tree’s trunk, also seems to be growing with age…that I’d rather not emulate.

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