How deep are your roots?

I love the parable of the sower in Mark chapter 10. The farmer spreads his seeds and some fall on stones, some on areas of thin soil, and others fall where the soil is rich and deep. Of course the seeds on the rocks never had a chance.

The seeds on the thin soil sprouted, but died from lack of nourishment. Only the seeds that were planted in the right environment thrived.

Thriving has a lot to do with roots. Here, where I live in South Carolina, big healthy trees don’t develop a deep root structure. Water is easy to come by. There is no need to go to all the work of pushing through tons of clay earth below the surface to a layer of sand.

But what happens when trouble comes?

A hurricane? No matter the reach of the big thick roots along the surface, when the wind comes, there is nothing to support the tree. No depth to keep the heavy trunk stabilized. And there they go, tree after huge tree, toppling because life has been too easy for them.

Many of us are like these trees. We grow strong and successful. Our needs are easily met. We confront few issues big enough to force us to grow emotional depth. Church is part of what we do, but not who we are. And at the first (or second, or third) life-issue, we fall.

We have no idea how to cope. We lack a base strong enough to hold us up.

Trees are all around me, laying on the ground, roots spread out like fingers seeking to grasp, but finding only air. Hurricane Matthew visited my community.

What will happen when a crisis tugs at your foundation? Will your faith be strong enough to hold against the wind? Will your relationship with God be there for you to grasp on to?

I pray that your faith may grow in depth this week.

Regina