I love to grow things.  Even as a kid I asked the landlords where my Mom rented apartments, if I could put seeds in the ground and take care of them thru the summer.  As a young wife in the early 70’s, house plants were REALLY big (almost as big as leisure suits…LOL). One time I counted I had over 65 houseplants AND then, having my first home as an adult, I started planting bulbs, seeds, cuttings outside.

This photo is of a narcissus bulb I started in January, 2020.  As gifts to friends, family and neighbors, I started bulbs before Thanksgiving and gave them as Christmas presents.  I saved this one for me, but it seemed I failed as gardener, as everyone else’s grew and bloomed, but mine did NOTHING.  I was ready to throw it in my compost pile, when I picked it up and saw there were…indeed…roots forming out of the ‘dead-looking’ bulb.  I thought…’what a metaphor for my life, at times’… when I think something is dead…it could be alive…but just slower than MY PLANS for it.

As a part of my personal retreat time, I had blocked off Friday morning from 9am-12pm…to connect with my God and reflect on these first 6 weeks of 2020.  After seeing the roots of my bulb beneath the soil, I decided to journal about my ‘roots’….as a human….emotionally, spiritually, culturally, relationally.  My journaling is writing (talking) on paper and listening deep inside, to the whispers from my God…then journaling again.  My time…looking at the roots of my faith…proved to be life-giving. It was there all the time…just a little slow in growing!

Questions To Consider…

• What do you know about your roots? Culturally, spiritually, relationally?
• Where are they ‘planted’….in truth or in lies?
• Have you too, experienced growth slower than you wanted?
• Are you willing to set aside time (a half day or even a half hour) to reflect on your life? Where you are growing…or… where you might need to ‘pull up’ stakes?