Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. Ephesians 3:17 NLT
With little
roots, Tom sold most of his belongings and headed out.
Tom had a
fragile childhood. His father was known as a rowdy type, a sailor with a woman
in every port. Naturally, things between his mother and father fell apart
because his father wouldn’t stop carousing. Then, the day came when his mom met
a man from Florida. Before he knew it, they were married and moving to
Florida—without him.
Tom was left to
live with his grandmother, who lived with her daughter, son-in-law, and their
two children. His aunt and uncle became his parents, and his two cousins became
his brother and sister.
Tom’s life
wasn’t much different than his father’s. None of his marriages lasted long.
Since he couldn’t father his own children, when the marriage dissolved, so did
all the roots that went with it. When his last wife died from cancer, Tom sold
almost everything he had, loaded his horses and belongings in a trailer, and
hit the road.
Sometimes, I
feel a little like Tom. As a preacher’s kid and then a preacher myself, moving
from place to place came with the territory. We often missed family reunions
because of church, so I depended greatly on my grandmother to keep me updated.
Mom and Dad’s sister are the only family matriarchs my family has left.
Although my
earthly roots are somewhat fragmented—and now relatively shallow—my spiritual
roots run deep. Distance, divorce, and death can shatter and fragment
genealogical roots, but the root that extends into God’s love is deep. In fact,
it is a tap root with no end.
Others may leave
us in life for numerous reasons. We ourselves will one day leave this earth
behind. But if we are rooted in God’s love, we have a large family planted
worldwide. Though our physical families dwindle and fragment, our spiritual
families are found anywhere we go because we find people rooted in God’s love.
When it appears
your family roots are slowly dissipating, remember how large your spiritual
family is. Pray for them and enjoy spending time with them.
Father, I thank
you for giving me spiritual family all across this globe.
Tweetable: How deep are your spiritual roots?
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