Rooted

“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.”” (Psalm‬ ‭92:12-15‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

The Redwood Forest. Magic, right? The theme of this week has been one of stillness and staying and rooting yourself.

What I love about redwood trees is that they are only found in forest systems, never alone. Their grandeur can only be experienced in company with their peers. But how are they so majestic? How do they manage to live 2,000 years or more and not budge an inch?

Their root system, that’s how.

But the interesting thing is that their root systems don’t necessarily dig deep, but they dig far and wide and they intermingle with one another and lean on each other’s strength. How great is that?

Let’s be a people who proactively lean into each other for strength and thus throw shade over those who need it and over the tiny lives growing up under our care so they can see how to muster their own strength! 

“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.” (Psalm‬ ‭1:1-3‬ ‭NIV‬‬)