A Season of Being Rooted
"He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bring forth its fruit in its season whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” (Psalm 1:3)
As I am beginning to read the book my husband got for me (Rooted by Banning Liebscher
) - the one the Lord whispered to him about on my behalf - I am seeing some immaturities in my heart. There’s been a desire in my heart for some time now to somehow change the world with my love for Jesus, through writing, ministry, being in the ‘spotlight’ somehow- maybe even through acting or music or design. But the flame has never more than sparked, the race not past the starting point. I have always known my passions for these things are from the Lord… but that’s it. A passion. A seed. The excitement, vision, dreams. And of course those are all incredible things and of vital importance to the beginning of a calling, but where does it go from there? And how? There are so many beliefs out there that center around a person in their own strength. “I have to work hard in order to get to where I want to be;” “Good things come to those who work their butt off;” “I accomplished this because I did that and never gave up,” etc. It all points to the work and efforts of the human, and often the human without Jesus. So how far does that get you, and what is really accomplished? Short-term success, a sense of pride, maybe a misjudged feeling or worth or belonging. And so, do those feelings last? I wonder if, because they are indeed feelings, they fade with time. Anything done apart from Him withers away at some point. And maybe a person truly believes what they are working for is for Him but what they lack is a foundation in Him. To be rooted and grounded in love is everything. For relationships to prosper, dreams to come true, callings to be not only stepped into but flourished in, there has to be a foundation - a root system - stronger than the walls or the appearance. What I just read really resonated with me - “in order for a plant to survive, much less bear fruit, its root system has to take up more space underground than the plant takes up above ground.” Wow! How incredible that a beautiful fruit-bearing plant or tree didn’t magically get that way from an anointing. It took time. A seed was planted, watered, grown. In other words, the inside was formed and strengthened before the outside. What was hidden inside was made beautiful before it showed on the outside. It is the same for us as Christ-followers that have a dream we are striving for. Our seed must be watered and nurtured so it can grow big and strong roots to hold us down. Otherwise, our work is done in vain. It’s done for our own success and benefits no matter the godly reasons we may have. Because without a strong root system, your tree will fall...
) - the one the Lord whispered to him about on my behalf - I am seeing some immaturities in my heart. There’s been a desire in my heart for some time now to somehow change the world with my love for Jesus, through writing, ministry, being in the ‘spotlight’ somehow- maybe even through acting or music or design. But the flame has never more than sparked, the race not past the starting point. I have always known my passions for these things are from the Lord… but that’s it. A passion. A seed. The excitement, vision, dreams. And of course those are all incredible things and of vital importance to the beginning of a calling, but where does it go from there? And how? There are so many beliefs out there that center around a person in their own strength. “I have to work hard in order to get to where I want to be;” “Good things come to those who work their butt off;” “I accomplished this because I did that and never gave up,” etc. It all points to the work and efforts of the human, and often the human without Jesus. So how far does that get you, and what is really accomplished? Short-term success, a sense of pride, maybe a misjudged feeling or worth or belonging. And so, do those feelings last? I wonder if, because they are indeed feelings, they fade with time. Anything done apart from Him withers away at some point. And maybe a person truly believes what they are working for is for Him but what they lack is a foundation in Him. To be rooted and grounded in love is everything. For relationships to prosper, dreams to come true, callings to be not only stepped into but flourished in, there has to be a foundation - a root system - stronger than the walls or the appearance. What I just read really resonated with me - “in order for a plant to survive, much less bear fruit, its root system has to take up more space underground than the plant takes up above ground.” Wow! How incredible that a beautiful fruit-bearing plant or tree didn’t magically get that way from an anointing. It took time. A seed was planted, watered, grown. In other words, the inside was formed and strengthened before the outside. What was hidden inside was made beautiful before it showed on the outside. It is the same for us as Christ-followers that have a dream we are striving for. Our seed must be watered and nurtured so it can grow big and strong roots to hold us down. Otherwise, our work is done in vain. It’s done for our own success and benefits no matter the godly reasons we may have. Because without a strong root system, your tree will fall...As I step into this season of being at home and preparing for baby, I am starting to realize maybe I’m not called home to do all these work-from-home projects as I originally thought: I’ll start making and selling my handmade goodies, set up an online shop and eventually, one day, I’ll be prepared for my boutique. I’ll start working from home now so I’m getting somewhat of a steady income when baby comes. And I’ll finally write! I’ll publish my website and blog! I’ll write the books that have been on my heart for years! ...As wonderful as all these ideas are, and I have no doubt they are visions from the Lord, my heart tells me there’s so much more in store for me during this time. What if the purpose in this season is the Lord growing me in Him? For me to seek Him in the secret place, be hidden in His word and ultimately rooted and grounded in Him. How much more will I flourish in all these endeavors if I am hidden and He is shining? And the glory is His and not mine...
I will say that my husband has introduced many of these truths to me. I never much thought about the idea of a “secret place.” How boring does that sound I would have thought, and, admittedly, still face that lie sometimes. But I’ve seen how it’s changed and grown so much in him throughout the last year and a half and it truly is inspiring. And now as I am walking this road not yet treaded for myself I’m discovering so much truth. It’s such a treasure and a blessing to be able to spend time getting to know Him. As a wife, almost mama, and [young] adult I am still just scratching the surface. I still have so much to learn and experience but I truly believe that right now, where I’m at, I have words of truth to offer any who will listen. These small revelations I have, whether in my lone time or in my talks with my husband, they are worth sharing because they ultimately come from Him and point to Him. And that is exciting!!
Don’t get me wrong, by the way… Working hard toward your dreams is not a bad thing. God gives us all very special gifts and it’s up to us to develop them and to make the decision to use them for His purposes. So taking the steps to write, draw, practice, sing, play, speak, teach, research, or whatever it is you do, that is WONDERFUL. I’ve been given many passions as I mentioned. Since I was very young I loved writing, acting, design, singing, music, and many other things. But I also didn’t believe in myself so I lacked the discipline to carry things on past the beginning stages. Only now, as a 22 year old wife and soon-to-be mama am I discovering the truths and benefits of discipline for my passions and dreams. I’ve tampered with discipline for these things many times, but the difference this time is my heart. As my heart turns fully towards the Lord and forsakes my selfish desires there is grace on the discipline that I’ve so longed to have. So I encourage you! Keep working towards what you believe you are called to do but seek Him during it. And don’t put your dreams, passions, goals or desires above the ultimate gift and reason for life: relationship with Him. The amazing thing about giving your heart and desires to the Lord is that they are in such wonderful care. We can have peace in taking steps towards what we believe is the right way even if we are wrong because He will always redirect us to the right path if we let Him. His plans and will for our lives is soooo far beyond what we can even imagine, so be okay with taking the backseat and letting the Father drive! I promise it’ll be a wonderful ride… :)
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