As Robbie and I were pulling some bushes out of the garden this weekend, I had a moment of awareness. While pulling one of the bushes out, I noticed part of a root sticking out of the ground. I pulled it, and as I did, it kept going and going, until it finally came out of the ground. The root must have been at least twenty-four inches long. Then I thought about a talk I had heard from a gentleman by the name of Matthew Kelly, a motivational speaker. In his talk, he made reference to trees and the storms of life. I recall him saying, “A tree with strong roots, can weather any storm.
The three bushes we pulled out had lengthy roots all around the garden. I looked at Robbie and said, “Robbie, a tree with strong roots can weather any storm.” He had no idea what I meant. Robbie is a weather enthusiast, so I thought this would be the appropriate time for him and I to have a talk about life.
For a tree to withstand the winds of a storm, it must have strong roots. For us to withstand the storms in our lives, we must be grounded in our beliefs and philosophies. For a business to survive through the bad times, it must have a solid foundation. Otherwise, it will stumble and fall. The stronger the root, the stronger the tree. The stronger our faith, the tougher it would be for anyone to bring us down.
The storms of life are constantly coming out us and we need to be prepared, so we know how to defend ourselves when the time comes. How solid is your foundation in each area of your life? Do you have a solid spiritual foundation? How about financially? What is your family life like? Do you see the relevance from the roots of a tree to the foundations in your life?
Last fall, while on vacation in Deep Creek, we hiked the state park in Swallow Falls. What a beautiful place to see God’s hand at work! While walking through the park I couldn’t help but notice the thousands of trees that had fallen from Super Storm Sandy. It was amazing to see how may of these enormous trees had grown on top of rocks. Their roots had spread from the top of the rock down the sides. They were not firmly grounded in good soil. When our beliefs and philosophies are not grounded in the good soil, it’s likely, one powerful storm will knock us off our feet.
For my business to grow strong, I must connect with my clients at a deeper level. So, when the market slows down, my business remains strong because I have built deeper relationships. For my family to be strong, I must be present with them in their lives. This creates a solid foundation at home and when those storms hit the family, we are able to work our way through them.
How deep are your roots planted in all the areas of your life? Are you investing the time to build those deep relationships with your family and friends? Are you planting your seeds in good soil or in clay or on top of rocks? How intentional are you about this game we call life?
Until next time my friends….