Rooted and Grounded in Love

𝗕𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹. It is where our identity begins, foundational to knowing who we are in Christ. As I was praying into this scripture, I could see a tree with deep roots. The soil was saturated in love. Beautiful, fertile soil. Then I saw one little root grow off to the side, rooting itself in unforgiveness, poisoning the whole tree. I could see a root grounded in hate. Pride. Judgment. Malice. Gossip.

This picture made me think and ask myself the question, what am I grounded in? 𝗔𝗺 𝗜 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲?

If we are grounded in love, we will grow in love, blossom, and bloom in love. Our tree will be fruitful and the flowers fragrant, a sweet-smelling fragrance.

If we are rooted in unforgiveness, our tree will become stunted and twisted, only bearing the hard fruit of bitterness. Or hate, will we allow our roots to drink of the waters of hate where violence and anger rage, where resentment and wrath are produced? Or perhaps pride, bringing forth envy and arrogance – resulting in loneliness?

What scares me most is that we will be rooted in fear, producing a tree that won’t grow at all, whose leaves will be paralyzed, and whose fruit will be depression, anxiety, and sickness.

Perhaps it is time to take stock of our roots, Matshona Dhliwayo says it well, “𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘁𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲’𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵 𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀.”

“𝕃𝕆ℝ𝔻, 𝕣𝕠𝕠𝕥 𝕞𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕘𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕 𝕞𝕖 𝕚𝕟 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕚𝕟𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕓𝕝𝕖 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖, 𝕒 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕚𝕤 𝕤𝕠 𝕕𝕖𝕖𝕡 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕤𝕠 𝕨𝕚𝕕𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕀 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕟𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕪 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕙𝕖𝕟𝕕 𝕚𝕥, 𝕓𝕦𝕥 𝕀 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕣𝕪. 𝕀 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥 𝕞𝕪 𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕥𝕪 𝕥𝕠 𝕓𝕖 𝕣𝕠𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕚𝕟 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕. ℍ𝕖𝕝𝕡 𝕞𝕖 𝕦𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕠𝕥 𝕒𝕟𝕪𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕚𝕟 𝕞𝕪 𝕝𝕚𝕗𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕚𝕤 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕘𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕕 𝕚𝕟 Y𝕠𝕦!”