Trees are majestic. It's easy to take a grove of trees for granted never giving much thought to all the life-giving resources that are provided through our forests or even that solo tree standing tall in your front yard. Oxygen to breathe, shade from the sun, protection during a storm, beams and boards for our homes, not even mentioning all the fruit, nuts, and berries that give us nutrition to be healthy. Trees also add beauty to just about any landscape in view with foliage that transitions each Fall and blooms that practically blind your eyes in the Spring. I say all of that to point out that the one part of a tree that doesn't get any credit, isn't recognized for its beauty or contributions, and isn't even visible in most settings is the one part that a tree cannot exist without, the roots.
Trees without a strong root system are destined for trouble. In most situations the root system's strength is found in the type of soil the tree is planted. Sandy soil provides little stability to the tree's root system and clay dirt makes it challenging for the tiny roots to spread and mature into a stabilizing force. Fertile soil with an adequate water source that provides nutrients and suitable conditions to grow makes for the best situation for all trees, and offers the best environment in which a tree will flourish and produce an abundant harvest. It would be safe to say that where the tree's roots are planted makes all the difference in the life of a tree.
Aren't we the same way? What our culture deems as beautiful is visible to anyone that can see us. As we grow and mature we produce more, provide more, and expand our life's touch with the fruits that we bear. In much the same way the abundance of what we produce is directly connected to where we are rooted. If our roots are planted in sandy soil we will struggle to withstand life's storms. We will topple when the winds blow too hard and what we produce will always be limited by the quality of nutrients we have gained in life. If we become hard-hearted due to our circumstances, afflictions, or other storms of life the tiny roots that need to grow and mature are limited or actually hindered by that hard-heartedness. And just like the tree without the proper nutrients and appropriate soil, we will struggle to withstand life's storms and we will undoubtedly give back in proportion to what we have been given in life.
Where a tree is planted is not determined by the tree. The elements of nature take the seed and place it where it may, thus limiting any choice in the matter to the tiny seed. For us we do have a choice. Regardless of where we are originally "planted" we determine where our roots will be firmly planted. Psalm 92:12-15 provides this encouragement, "The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; He is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in Him.” and in Psalm 1: the psalmist declares that "Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers." Each of us has choice. We will decide where our roots are planted, we will choose what we feed our hearts, minds and souls. What we produce will always be in direct proportion to what types of "nutrients" we take in and then what we sow into the lives of others. Our roots will become the legacy which we leave to our family and those we live and work with each day. If you are planted beside the river of life you will produce a way for others to succeed. Choose to be like the tree and get rooted in Christ.
Coach Carter
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