Skip to main content

Roots

             It was majestic in beauty, with its spreading boughs, for its roots went down to abundant waters. (Ezekiel 31:7)

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

Last night, I happened to find an article about winter resting. I’ve only just begun to read it because I want to move very slowly through it and contemplate it rather than just read it. I’ve considered the idea of living seasonally before but something the first bit of the article said is striking a major chord: During the winter, plants store their energy in their roots. I’m not sure that’s scientifically correct, but my heart is saying, “Oo, that’s good.”

So, Root:

the part of a plant which attaches it to the ground or to a support, typically underground, conveying water and nourishment to the rest of the plant via numerous branches and fibers:

the basic cause, source, or origin of something

From the verb form comes the idea: establish deeply and firmly.

This morning, I have more questions than answers about roots. There are some obvious connections – putting energy into the things that make you what you are, nourishing you, and holding you in place. What those are for each person may be different. Several ideas come to mind: working on the various parts of the person as described by Dallas Willard: spirit (heart/will), mind (thoughts/feelings), body, social relationships, and soul. Another possibility involves storing energy in things that feed our lives: our jobs/careers, our homes, our families, education. I’m already in the house that is my root and trying to get back to basics. It wouldn’t be the first time I returned to something that provided stability, so it could involve returning to my roots. And since the energy stored in the roots is not simply put in storage – it is put in storage for use in the spring, it could involve education, investing, or other preparatory activities.

This is all brainstorming, and I invite you to brainstorm with me on this first day of winter. What are roots to you? How might you store energy in them?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Higher Thoughts

  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the  Lord . “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)           The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments,   for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord      so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (I Corinthians 2:15-16) If you read about the ancient gods of the various peoples, you’ll find that they think just like people. In fact, they think just like the sort of people we really wouldn’t want to be around. They think like the most corrupt Hollywood producer or, like hormone overloaded teens with no upbringing.   It’s embarrassing to read. I have a friend who argues that because God is not just like us, He is so vastly dif...
2 comments
Read more

Think About These Things

                 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8) This passage is a major challenge for me. Like everyone else, I struggle to keep my thoughts from wandering off into the weeds, then wondering what possible benefits those weeds might have… Sigh. But as a writer, I have to delve at least a little into the ignoble, wrong, impure, unlovely, and debased. After all, there’s no story if everything’s just as it should be and everyone’s happy. As Christians, there are times when we need to deal with all the negatives, but that makes it even more important that we practice turning our minds by force of attention to what is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. It’s just too easy to get stuck in a swamp. With my...
1 comment
Read more

A Virgin?

           Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)           This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:18)           But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”            “How will this be,” Mary asked the...
Post a Comment
Read more