In2theRiver

Good morning from Westminster, MD!

I ended the last post with this statement: “Plants with roots are meant to grow. The same is true for people.” So, what does this look like and what does it mean for people to grow from their roots?

Before I jump into those questions, it’s important to be clear on what it means to be rooted. To be rooted means to have a strong foundation as well as to absorb what is necessary for growth and thriving. In the case of a plant, the roots are the anchor in the ground that allows the plant to remain stable as well as the conduit for the plant to receive the nutrients, minerals, and water it needs. As I said in the last post, without roots, most plants won’t last very long.

In addition to the roots themselves, the soil a plant is rooted in makes a big difference as well. If the conditions are right and soil contains the proper nutrients, minerals, and water, it has a great chance of reaching its potential. If not, more than likely the plant will struggle. The same can be said for people. Ensuring we are rooted in a foundation that provides what is necessary for growth gives us the best chance at reaching our God-given potential. It also allows endure when life is less than ideal. As I said, personally, I have found Jesus and his love to be the best place for my roots to grow. In this “soil” I am fed by the truth that I am created on purpose and for a purpose by a God who loves me.

Now, with a clearer picture of what it looks like be rooted, what it does it mean for people to grow from their roots? To explore this question, I am going to go back to the world of plants. Specifically, I believe the Quaking Aspen has something to teach us.

If you are unfamiliar with the Quaking Aspen, it is a very unique tree, or grove of trees, that can be found in North America. In fact, it is believed that a grove of Quaking Aspens in Utah is one of the largest and oldest living organisms on planet earth. Notice, I said one organism. You see, this is what makes the Quaking Aspen so interesting–what appears to be a large grove of individual trees is actually thousands of trunks growing from one interconnected root system. In other words, it is this single root system that has allowed thousands of trunks to grow and thrive over many generations.

There are many different applications that I could draw from this, but I want to stay focused on the connection between growth and being rooted. First, one of major advantages of the Quaking Aspen’s strong and vast root system is its ability to access nutrients, minerals, and water from where they are plentiful and to distribute them to where they are needed most. Second, the strong root system also allows the organism to endure many challenges including insects, disease, fires, and storms. In some cases, when many trunks have been destroyed by a natural disaster, the roots immediately resprout new trunks, that grow and repopulate the forest. Third, young saplings that remain connected to the main root system have a much higher survival rate than those that are separated and replanted. Fourth, the growth of the trunks actually feeds the overall organism through photosynthesis. In other words, growth is a part of the overall thriving of the organism.

So, why am I telling you some of the science behind the Quaking Aspen? Well, it paints a picture of what it looks like to grow from your roots. The root system of the Quaking Aspen is impressive on its own, but it is the forest of tree trunks that it produces that allows us to fully appreciate how incredible it is. The roots aren’t there just to exist; they are there to produce and sustain growth.

The same is true for people. When we are well rooted in the right soil, growth should be the natural outcome. However, the key is the growth needs to flow out of the roots. Much like the Quaking Aspen, our ability to reach our God-given potential becomes severely compromised when we become separated from the root system. What does this look like? It might be trying to find significance and purpose in things that were never meant to provide it such as money, power, and pleasure. It’s not to say that they are all bad, but they were never meant to be a sustaining force in our lives. In the short-term they may even produce growth but in the long-term they will fail and it will become evident that we are not properly rooted.

I have found this to be true in my life. The real, sustainable, life-producing growth I experience flows out of well-paced, strong roots. When I am clear that I was created on purpose and for a purpose by a God who loves me, I am able grow in a way that actually produces more life. When I lose connection with my roots, I find that the “growth” that is produced is temporary at best and never actually leads to a thriving life. Being rooted in the right place has made a difference in my life.

This is what it means to grow from your roots. By staying rooted in the right foundation, growth and the desire to do so should be a regular part of our lives. This doesn’t mean it we won’t face adversity, but rather that we will be able to remain resilient and grow in the midst of it.

Do you want to grow and thrive? Make sure you are rooted in the right foundation. This will put in you the best position to produce growth that will actually move you toward your God-given potential. In fact, like the Quaking Aspen, growth should be the natural outcome. May we be people who grow from our roots.

James Belt

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