It's All About Roots!

It's been a long while since I've posted... life for Sam and me has been crazy hard this past year, but at the same time oh so, so, so, blessed! One of my most special blessings was celebrating 34 years of marriage to my guy. The picture above was taken on our anniversary at Monahan's Sandy Hills State Park...kind of a self portrait of sorts.

As you can see, Monahan's isn't exactly a tropical paradise...lots of beautiful sand, warm breezes...verrrry warm, but NO water. It's a pretty harsh environment, especially this year with the drought and all, yet if you'll notice on the top of the hill, there's a small forest of lush green mesquite. One has to wonder how the mesquite has managed to thrive while the grasses and other bushy vegetation have withered and died.

Of course the answer is it's all about roots! The hardy, drought tolerant mesquite can draw water from the water table with its tap root that, according to Wikipedia, can be as long as 160 feet. Pretty cool! I remember my dad instructing my brothers and me on the fine art of weed pulling, and much to our frustration, always insisting that we get the root along with the weed because he knew that roots were the weed's life link.... Reminds me of the parable Jesus told about the sower. "The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away." Matthew 13:20

It was a purposeful choice of words when Jesus said "when" trouble comes... rather than "if" it comes. Trouble, valleys, disappointment, heartbreak... whatever you want to call it... life.... it will come, but praise be to God that He has given us His perfect unconditional love in which to plant and grow the roots of our souls, his Spirit to encourage and counsel us, and brothers and sisters in Christ to walk by our sides. I can't imagine my life without Sam... How blessed I am to love and be loved by a man who is so deeply rooted in the sacrificial love of our Savior that he would lay down his life for Vanessa, Riley, Dorian and me.... Truly, figuratively speaking, he already has.... over and over again.

So very thankful.... for God's love..... for Sam ..........and for the green of mesquite trees!

P.S. I posted this blog a few days ago, but just this morning reread in my journal notes from my study of The Purpose Driven Life and found these verses- Let your roots grow down into Christ and draw up nourishment from him. See that you go on growing in the lord, and become strong and vigorous in the truth. Colossians 2:7 (LB) Blessed are those who trust in the Lord... They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they go right on producing delicious fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NLT) Love how God gives gifts of affirmation like this!!!