The Danger of Shallow Roots

"rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." (Colossians 2:7)

I am a notoriously bad gardener. When I buy a poinsettia in December, the poor thing starts dropping leaves before I get it home. When I tried to grow bean plants with my great-nephew--beans! Everyone can grow beans!--the only thing that sprouted in that foam cup was a sad little fungus.

Seriously. I can kill a plastic plant.

Both my parents had green thumbs. Mom kept houseplants alive for years, rooting new ones from cuttings with ease. Daddy had a garden in the back yard which flooded the kitchen counters with tomatoes, peppers, okra, and lettuce. Mom stuck a sprig of mint in a bed beside the patio once, and the stuff flourished.

So while I can't grow anything green to save my life, I understand about roots. One of the best examples I can think of to demonstrate roots are cottonwood trees. If you don't have cottonwoods (also known as poplars) in your area, Bradford pears will work for this illustration, too.

Cottonwoods grow tall. I mean, really tall. They can tower over neighborhoods, growing year after year, blanketing everything with their fluffy, white-fibered seeds. Making most of us sneeze. When I was growing up, we had a really big cottonwood in the back yard. The roots from that tree branched out, blocking pipes, crawling across the yard, tripping us up every chance they got.

But you know what? Those far-reaching roots weren't deep. One day, that tree literally fell over. Same thing has happened in my current neighborhood. The builder planted Bradford pears on all the easements. They're all pretty big now, their branches reaching into the sky above rooftops. And ... shallow roots. We've had two fall over in our yard. It's like they just give up one day, and say, "I'm done. I can't do this anymore."

So no matter how big you think your faith is, no matter how strong you believe you are spiritually, if your roots aren't deep, you may find yourself knocked down by a stiff wind. The winds of doubt, winds of change, winds of trial and tribulation. So many winds out there. Please make sure your roots are deep.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

• How can I make sure my roots are deep enough to withstand trouble? Which of my friends can I turn to to help shore up my roots if needed?
• What areas can I work on to strengthen my roots?