Rooted - Day Twenty-One
June 21, 2022
Rooted
I have ten more little entries -
I’ve committed to making
for this 30-Day “Rooted” series…
Tonight and nine more…
And right about now is
when the well -
usually goes dry.
This is when I start scraping
the bottom of the barrel
to find the strength
to persevere
and finish out the month.
Because anyone can fake it
over and over -
Talk a good talk and
walk a good walk
But eventually,
given enough
time and pressure…
They crack.
Wide open
On display
For all the world to see.
And so I keep this journal
running through the cracking…
Because sometimes -
IT’S WHEN I GROW THE MOST.
When my roots stretch down
to unbearable depths -
farther than they’ve ever
reached before…
When frustration and irritants
become mountains from molehills…
And I am undone.
When time and pressure -
create diamonds
or dust…
I’ve got my eye fixed on Heaven -
(LITERALLY, everyday)
I’m aiming for DIAMONDS.
Once I heard a speaker give a motivational lecture on his walking adventure from the west coast to the east coast of the USA.
During the Q&A, someone asked what was the hardest part of his journey… thinking the answer would be something along the lines of cold, loneliness, cities, traffic, boredom…
Nope -
He said, after he passed through the dessert, he struggled for the next 1500+ miles with the smallest grains of sand stuck in his shoes.
Irritants he never planned for…
Irritants he couldn’t change…
Irritants he couldn’t ignore…
And it is true -
it’s the smallest irritants -
the finest grains of “sand” that are
used for the final phase of polishing -
DIAMONDS
And so we continue…
even though we’re weary.
Because of God.
It’s hard to watch pain -
day after day…
It stretches my heart -
to the point of breaking
day after day…
But kindness heals
Love covers
Patience carries
Joy strengthens
Hope illuminates
Grace digs deep
Mercy runs true…
These are the days -
when roots
grow deep…
“We are pressed
on every side
by troubles,
but we are not crushed.
We are perplexed,
but not driven to despair.
We are hunted down,
but never abandoned by God.
We get knocked down,
but we are not destroyed.
Through suffering,
our bodies continue
to share in the death of Jesus
so that the life of Jesus
may also be seen in our bodies.”
2 Corinthians 4:8-10
Rooted in Him
The Cross of Christ my guide
(Photo credit Kunj Parekh)
