When we arrived home from our trip to Florida, I was amazed to see that our yard was not only a darker shade of green, but covered in big, leafy weeds….everywhere. I was shocked that a weed so leafy and green can grow in such a short amount of time. When the warm sun came out, I put on my garden gloves and decided to go after them one at a time. They did not have multiple roots, but one large one that almost looked like a carrot. It put up a pretty good fight as I was yanking on its leafy greens, but I managed to have a substantial pile of dead weeds by the end of the day.
I cannot help but admit to you all today that I can truly relate to those leafy weeds. As I was staring at them, I thought, this is what I long for and yet this is the end result. I want to grow quick; I want to go from seed to leafy, full-blown plant in a matter of days. I want all my dreams, ideas and prophetic words to come to pass now. By doing this, how often can we find ourselves relying on rocky soil and places we don’t belong to get there. It may grow quick, but the product is weak, and has only one root to hold it all together, causing things around it not to flurish. Then I look at our reservoir by our house and notice the entire lake is surrounded by beautiful, tall, majestic trees. It is in that moment that the scripture from Jeremiah comes to mind.
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8)
The trees by the reservoir have taken several years to grow and have developed a strong root system, full of many different roots. They have withstood drought, harsh winters, windstorms, hailstorms, they have been through it all. Yet, there they stand tall with their leaves beginning to blossom; ready for another summer to shade all those that want to play in its waters.
In moments of doubt, worry, or when we simply can’t explain why or how things happen, it is easy to take matters into our own hands. We can let fear pull us away from the arms of trust and decide that our way of understanding is possibly better. This only leaves us like the weeds in my front yard. We can find a place to root, and we can do it all on our own and quickly, but we are easily plucked out and left in a pile of wither, wondering, “how did we get here?” I have been tossed in a season of questions, doubts, taking things into my own hands only to give them back to God again. The thing is, I don’t like when I think I can do it better on my own, because that is when I usually end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. I want to be the majestic tree by the waters, and all I need to do is put my trust in Jesus, be patient in the growth and do what He wants me to do.
One night while Oliver was preaching to us on his little bed, he said, “lets pray, dear God we do what you want, we do what you say to do…..” That prayer has always stuck with me, because in the simplicity of it, we are surrendering once again and saying, I trust you Lord and in that we are blessed. Let us not settle with being a quickly sprouted weed, but a wise, strong, and peaceful tree whose roots go deep, deep down to the living waters and whose nutrients come from God and Him alone. Be patient, trust in the unknown and remember that God loves you deeply and wants you to need Him, to trust Him and let Him guide you down the unknowns. Let our roots grow deep, not only for ourselves but. for the good of others.
Emily Rodewald 