Rooted in God

There were some vicious winds that swept through Ohio this past Saturday. They caused power outages for over 350,000 residents & businesses across the state. Gutters, siding, & shingles were ripped from many homes. Trampolines not anchored were blown into neighboring yards & fields. Trash cans were toppled over, spreading garbage all over yards & streets. Tree limbs, & in many cases, whole trees were downed. On a walk around our neighborhood Sunday afternoon, we had to step carefully around twigs & branches strewn across the sidewalks. I kept apologizing to my son because I kept kicking branches into his leg by accident. 

Two days later, on my way to work, I passed a yard where two tall, mature trees had fallen, completely uprooted. Both were near the road & had fallen across the yard, thankfully not near the house itself. The root system on both trees had to have been at least four feet in diameter. 

The strength of trees has always amazed me. As they grow taller, their roots reach deeper & wider into the earth, anchoring the tree. When winds kick up, the trees may bend & sway, but as long as those roots are firmly in the ground, the tree will usually remain in place. Those that do fall when accosted by wind & severe weather, like those two trees I saw that morning, may have some damage to their root systems due to insects, fungus, or having not been properly tended.

We, Christians, are like trees. We need deep roots of faith to maintain our grounding in our Lord. The more we steep ourselves in our faith, the stronger that connection will be to God. How do we properly care for our roots? Just as those trees need water & nutrients, we need the Living Water found only in Jesus. We pray & take advantage of the Sacraments…frequent trips to Confession & reception of the Holy Eucharist during weekly Mass attendance, Holy Days, & even daily, if our schedules permit. We read our Bibles & other spiritual materials.

Once those roots have been established in our faith, we cannot let up on their care. Many things can easily creep in, ready to attack  the root system. We must be vigilant in what we expose our souls to, whether it be the shows we watch, the books we read, the music we listen to, the art we look at, or the people surrounding us. It doesn’t take much for those things to do some major damage. They will slowly eat at our roots, slow enough that we don’t realize it until it’s too late & we have nothing left connecting us to God. Once that happens, it won’t be long before a “strong wind” comes to knock us down.

Here’s a great prayer asking for strength at the beginning of our days:  

“As I begin my day, I turn to You, Lord, and ask for strength. Be my rock whenever the day shakes me. Guide me through the day as I navigate choppy waters that might come my way. Empower me to speak up when I need to, even if my voice shakes. Help me to feel tall in situations that make me small. Be the light that empowers me in darkness. Most of all, help me feel Your loving embrace this day and all days. Amen.”

In 2007, the Christian band, Casting Crowns, had a great song describing how the things we expose ourselves to can slowly cause damage to us & to our relationships. The last four lines were sung by a child as a prayer. I leave you with the lyrics here…

 

Slow Fade by Casting Crowns

Be careful little eyes what you see

It's the second glance that ties your hands

As darkness pulls the strings

Be careful little feet where you go

For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away

It's a slow fade when black and white are turned to gray

And thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid

When you give yourself away

People never crumble in a day

It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade

Be careful little ears what you hear

When flattering leads to compromises, the end is always near

Be careful little lips what you say

For empty words and promises leave broken hearts astray

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away

It's a slow fade when black and white are turned to gray

And thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid

When you give yourself away

People never crumble in a day

It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade

The journey from your mind to your hands

Is shorter than you're thinking

Be careful if you think you stand

You just might be sinking

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away

It's a slow fade when black and white are turned to gray

And thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid

When you give yourself away

People never crumble in a day

Daddies never crumble in a day

Families never crumble in a day

Oh, be careful little eyes what you see

Oh, be careful little eyes what you see

For the Father up above is looking down in love

Oh, be careful little eyes what you see

(Slow Fade Lyrics as written by John Mark Hall)