I love plants! Those that grow indoors as well as those that grow outdoors. My husband and I have been getting a garden together in the front yard. He had to dig up what was already there, mostly old mulch and rocks. We didn’t realize that there were rocks under the mulch and rocks under the dirt. But there they were. About a gazillion rocks later, we were ready to start planting. I am happy to say that our little garden is finally taking shape.
But there was one box that had not been touched. Someone had given us a box of bulbs. We had not planned on planting bulbs, so they sat in the garage, forgotten. The box contained elephant ears and something whose name has been forgotten. I call them surprise bulbs because whatever comes up will be a surprise to us.
You’re probably wondering where all of this plant talk is going. Well, we went to plant some of the bulbs and what we discovered was that the plants were already growing – in the box! No dirt, no water, but they were sprouting buds! You know that’ll preach!
There was something inside the bulb that was causing a reaction outside of the bulb. They were created to grow, and grow is what they were doing. They had been dug up from the previous owner’s ground, where they had been rooted, built up, and established. So they were determined to grow where they were, whether in a box or in the yard, because they had strong roots. We hurried and planted them, and we cannot wait to see what happens now that they are in an environment that is more conducive to their growth.
“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”
Colossians 2:6-7
As Christians, our lives should be rooted and built up in Jesus. Reading Scripture, prayer, meditation, attending worship and Bible study, and being a part of a small group are all ways in which we strengthen our spiritual roots. If we attend to these spiritual disciplines well, we become established in the faith. So, troubles may come, but since our roots go deep, we are not moved. Just like the tree planted by the water, we shall not be moved.
Strong roots, strong faith, yield an abundant harvest. It gets us through sickness, grief, divorce, and all kinds of heartache. And when we are rooted in Christ, it doesn’t matter if we’re at church, home, school, or on the job, beautiful blooms of praise will come forth! So bloom where you’re planted!
Join us for worship this Sunday as we talk about being rooted and established in the faith. To register for indoor worship, you can sign up at: https://rsvp.church/r/gVufUAP4. You can also join us online at 10:00am. For online worship go to www.umcgt.org.
Remember, for those who are fully vaccinated, masks are not required. Those who are not fully vaccinated, and children who are not vaccinated, should continue to wear masks. Our ultimate goal is to do no harm, so if you are not feeling well, we are trusting that you will worship with us online.
Blessings,
Pastor Linda
Thank you for reminding us how important our faith-roots are. God's word needs to be a part of the fabric of our daily life, and something we desire just as we desire the air we breathe. My mother always told us, "Bloom where you're planted." To me that means don't wait until circumstances are perfect or favorable, give forth praise and fruit to the glory of God wherever you happen to be. 😊