ROOTS

By: Jessica Breazeale

Have you noticed how many trees are dying?

Maybe it’s just in my neck of the woods, but it seems to be an alarming number of trees that are dead - or on the brink of it. We need more sturdy, reliable trees that can withstand nature’s weather and insects.

What tree are you?

• Are you firm, steady, resolute?

• Is your tree being eaten alive by beetles and on the brink of falling over dead?

• Is your tree flopping around because you hadn’t grown very big before storms kept hitting one after another?

• Is your tree so big and grown that it provides shade and protection for the other trees?

With the current alarming rates of dying trees, is there something we can do to help trees “make it”?

How to make your tree grow?

1.    Be careful with lawncare. – Even small knicks and bumps can have a lasting impact. Be careful with who and what is around you.

a.   Be careful not to mow over a baby crepe myrtle. Yes, this happened to us. I was mad at my husband for weeks. But I got over it. Symbolically, if we mow over baby Christians, they never got a fair shot at what “real living” looks like. Be careful and not in a hurry with lawncare.

2.    Give it space to grow. Some trees get choked out. There’s simply not enough room for light to penetrate through the darkness.

a.   Jesus needed space to go off alone to be with His father to hear from Him, to see Him, to talk with Him.

b.   We aren’t exempt. We all need quiet, alone time, space to see God for who He really is…TO YOU PERSONALLY. Distance from the world is good.

3.    Water it enough. You will start to wither if you aren’t staying in His presence or in communication with Him. We wither when we aren’t staying in His word, helping His people, who are our eternal siblings. If the leaves become pale and fragile, the tree isn’t getting enough water. It’s not growing or producing delicious fruit. The base of the tree needs to stay wet.

4.    Watch the roots. Surround yourself with good soil. Don’t overfertilize.

a.   Now, I can’t tell you what that means for you. For some, they get addicted to church, and it becomes what they love more than God.

b.   I can’t say what over-fertilizing is for you. I know what it is for me. Keep the roots wet and surround yourself with good soil. Get to the roots. Dig…dig…dig. As deep as you can dig, find out what keeps you from bending towards the light, facing the storm, and allowing your tree to grow.

This picture speaks volumes to me. At first glance, it looks like this tree has a good roots system and would be fine. But all it would take is years of erosion and the perfect storm to change everything for this tree. It appears strong on the outside but is at the mercy of environmental factors.

Is your tree is being fully fed, fully nourished, fully satisfied in Christ ALONE? Identify the root cause of tree sickness and weed it out. Weed out the thinking that got you in trouble, that friend that got you in trouble, that addiction that got you in trouble, that marriage or that divorce, or that secret habit, whatever it is…all of it…find it , start bending towards the light to watch your tree start to THRIVE.

I’m always in awe when I look at live oaks. They outlive humans and showcase strength, longevity, and beauty. I want to be a live oak when I grow up one day – ha!