Rooted in Christ

Nothing tastes as good as that first tomato or ear of corn from your own garden! And thankfully, spring is right around the corner; so it's time to start getting the soil ready for our gardens! Last summer, as I hoed row after row of corn, okay to be honest they are very short rows, I remember not really thinking of anything, just working to get the job done and about how sweaty my tee shirt was. (Some ladies perspire but thanks to our mom's genes, my sisters and I, we sweat!)

Anyways, I don't think I told John this, but one day after a week of hard rains, as I hoed the corn, one of the plants popped out of the ground. It looked just like a jack-in-the-box as it popped up and flipped over! I swear, if I hadn't known any better, I would have sworn I had pulled it out on purpose!  I stood there, looking down at the silly thing not knowing if I should put it back in the ground or toss it. But I pushed it back in, gave it a little water, and prayed that it would take root again and grow.

I don't remember if that plant was one of the few that produced, but one thing did take root: As I hoed, the Holy Spirit brought Mark 4 to mind.  That is the story Jesus told using the parable of the sower and how some seed fell in good places taking root while others fell into places where they just couldn't. I remember how God spoke to my heart and revealed that recent rains done a couple things:  1- for some of the plants, the rain forced the roots to go deeper, making the plant more sturdy; 2- but for others it caused the surrounding soil to loosen up, and since the roots weren't well established, those plants became wobbly.

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Neighbors, the storms of life can do the same things to us. Sometimes life makes us stronger in Christ - causing us to go deeper into relationship with Him (you know, we talk to Him more, lean more on Him for support) but other times our faith is uprooted by life's storms (we blame Him or stop talking to/trusting Him).  But the truth of the matter is that He never leaves us. Just like my uprooted plant, its furrow was still there, its "hole" too, but for some reason, its roots were not strong enough to hold out. If it would have held on for just a few more days, the pull of the sun would have up righted it as its roots pulled deeper into the soil.

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Neighbor, if you are struggling with the roots of your faith, if life can easily uproot you, I encourage you to hold on! If you need a shoulder to lean on, please find someone to help you get back into place with God. A church family, a trusted Christian friend, even a good Bible teacher on TV - but find someone who can help you reestablish your roots into the true Foundation.  I love the promises of the following Bible verses. They have helped me a lot during times of upheaval and I promise they can help you as well: John 15;  John 16:33; Matthew 8:26. 

Stay strong and hold on,

In Christ with love and Compassion,

Coach Kelly