Daily Reflections on Col. 2:6-8 (Roots)

Several years ago, when my daughters were very young, we planted a dogwood tree for Mother's Day. It was a relatively young tree which stood about six feet tall after we planted it. I had prepared the soil like I was supposed to do before planting. Added some special tree fertilizer. Put plenty of mulch around the base to keep the moisture in. Finally, I staked the tree on three sides to make sure it grew straight and to give it plenty of support.

A couple of years later, the tree had outgrown its tethers so I took them off. Within a couple months of removing the stakes, we had a nasty thunderstorm. The tree snapped off at the trunk during the storm. I was heartsick because the tree was just coming into its own. The blooms that Spring had begun to fill the branches. It was too late in the year to plant another dogwood, so I just decided to wait until the next Spring to replace it.

But something interesting happened. From the base of the tree new sprigs began to grow. I watched it all summer and kept it watered. By the next Spring, the little sprigs had grown to be about a foot tall. I trimmed it a little and decided to let it continue to grow. My neighbor thought I was nuts nurturing the small new growth that had emerged. But it continued to grow and develop.

A friend of mine shared with me about planting several new young trees around his newly built house. He had staked everyone only to lose everyone just as I had done. When he went to replace them, a tree expert had told him not to stake the trees because it actually weakens their trunks. They become dependent on the stakes for stability.

Paul says in this passage to be rooted in Christ. Or as the Living Bible says, "let your roots grow down deep and draw your nourishment from Christ." Many people don't do that. They become dependent on the stakes of a pastor, teacher, church, group or tradition. And if they're removed from that environment or the pastor moves or something changes in their church then they're susceptible to blowing over in a storm.

The smartest thing I did as a planter was to prepare the soil well so that when my tree blew over it was able to come back stronger from its roots and stand on its own. The dumbest thing I did as a planter was to make it dependent on the tethers. My little tree grew back stronger than ever and within a few years was continuing to grow and filling the branches with gorgeous blossoms each Spring.

God, help me to grow my roots deep into you, not into men or books or methods or traditions or even my church. I want to draw my nourishment from you. Lord, give me the wisdom to lead my church to do the same thing and not depend on me or our methods or programs or the worship service.