Got Root?

On a recent school break the four of us had an opportunity to visit a redwood forest. Redwoods are beautifully tall trees. They can grow up to 2-3 feet a year in ideal conditions and there are some so large you can drive your car through their carved out trunk. Then I read that their root systems were shallow, which, from what I know about trees, is a recipe for disaster. But redwood trees grow in clusters. Under the surface of the soil these massive trees have roots that can extend over one hundred feet from their base, all the while intertwining with the roots of the other redwoods.

God created us to be in community. In Genesis 2:18 it says, 'Then the Lord God said, "It is not good for man to be alone.  I will make a helper as his complement."' If a single redwood tree grew without the community or cluster of the other trees it would not survive the elements.

 

Over the past year I had the privilege of facilitating a couple of parenting studies and through that experience I found moms who just want to cluster together with like-minded moms. Moms who want to learn and grow and share parenting ideas with moms who believe and have the same 'root structure'. In addition, my husband and I began a small group bible study at our church, ironically called 'Rooted'. At a recent function with that group one of our members brought shirts for all of us and on the back was the question, 'Got Root?'. I was seeing a pattern!

 

We not only need root, we need to seek it out for ourselves as well as for our kids. As parents who desire that our kids walk through their lives with Christ as their center and guiding force, we need to equip them with the ability to root themselves in Christ and also to root themselves in a community. It starts in our homes. As we become rooted together as a family they can draw strength from that root system. As they grow we want them to intertwine their roots with like-minded friends through church or school. This equips them to seek out like-minded friends when they are no longer with us, hopefully!  Our job is to point them in that way and help them see the importance of intertwining roots.

It begs the question in my heart: what are we rooted to, who are our roots entwined with and how are we nourishing those roots?  "Therefore, as you have received Jd 3 Christ Jesus the Lord, Eph 3:11 walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him Eph 2:20 and established in the faith, just as you were taught Eph ; Heb 13:9 overflowing with gratitude." Colossians 2:6,7

By His Grace