Diggin' Out the Roots!

This kind of wildflower was growing for the last 2 years in our deck trellis box.

Pretty blue wildflowers.  With strong roots.

VERY strong roots.

So strong that this is what I looked like (minus the blond hair!) yesterday afternoon after work.

I timed my self.  It took TWENTY minutes to pull 3 roots out of our box.  I strained, sweated, and swore (not lierally!!) that I would NEVER plant wildflowers in that box again.  Ever.

I dug up the wildflowers that were just getting started....they were easy to pull, and came right up.

But...those stubborn, deep-rooted stalks of those blue wildflowers (they hadn't yet bloomed for the season), just were so tough.  The stalks were well developed even though the blooms were not out yet.

And of course, while I am pulling and straining and sweating in the afternoon sun, the Lord showed me a picture of something He wants me to share with you.  I actuallyshared this with a friend of mine who has been "digging" in her past for a complete emotional/spiritual healing.  I can't go into details but I have permission to share a little of the story.  A childhood of always trying to please a father who was a good provider yet emotionally distant.  As a teenage girl, looking for love from a father figure who happened to be a family friend, a church worker, and....sadly, a pedophile.  A girl who grows up not telling a soul the anguish and abuse  she endured.  Deep rooted betrayal.  Fear of getting close to friends.  Perfectionistic qualities.  Shame.  A husband who betrayed her with adultery.  Feelings of low self-esteem. Not being able to see God as a Father who loves unconditionally.  Not being able to see her self as loved and cherished by her Redeemer.  She is a Christian.  She has endured much grief in her lifetime.  And...she knows that to become free she must get to these roots. To the REASON she has those negative emotions and thought patterns.  She needs TRUTH in her life. Biblical truth!

We all have experienced something that leaves us feeling betrayed, hurt, angry, fearful, sad, depressed, addicted to drugs, alcohol, or other harmful behaviors.  Many people struggle with low self-esteem, fear of being judged, fear of embracing God as Father, fear of becoming emotionally intimate with friends or family.  Feelings of shame or pride.  Some people have experienced loss in their lives.  Loss because of a marriage betrayal (adultery), or death of a child/spouse/parent/sibling, or loss of financial security.  Loss of friendships, jobs, ministries.

Did you know there is always a root issue at work? and the longer it goes on...the longer you don't attack it, the deeper it goes.

I don't mean to sound like a psychologist, but....there is always a root cause to emotional pain.  Some people might not even acknowledge there is pain in their heart.  They put up a great facade at church, work, home, with friends and acquaintances.  Some people like to say "oh, that is in the past" (they are right) but I don't need to deal with that...the blood of Jesus covers me".  Well, they are partly right.  Yes, the past is past. BUT....unless the roots are dug out and dealt with, saying God's grace will get me through is just a band-aid.  Jesus wants us to live freely!  He has a purpose and plan for our lives! (Jeremiah 29:11)  Now, don't get me wrong:  God's Grace DOES get us through our lives....yet...when really facing our selves in the mirror, we need to be totally honest:  do you still have those negative emotions? do you struggle with feeling inadequate, unloved, uncherished, angry, depressed, ashamed?

The Lord often nudges the heart into wanting to be examined.  His Spirit draws us.....if we are willing to face our pain.

My friend has had to face emotional pain.  I have had to face some too in my past.  

I think if we are honest, we all do.

I am recently facing the loss of a friendship that I truly believed would last.

~sigh~ life is hard sometimes.

But...God showed me that by digging down and getting to the root of the matter (in my friend's case the "root" seems to be connected with her father...the lack of emotional attachment.), we will become FREE in Him!  Our hearts will no longer feel like there is a hole. Or, our minds will no longer torment us with thoughts of "I'm not good enough, or loved enough, or skinny enough, or smart enough" or whatever it is you have tried to fill your life with.
 My friend's father wasn't there for her.(emotionally)  I have known other people, mainly former clients of the pregnancy center where I taught for 5 years, who never even knew their biological father.  So that is the root. The not knowing the earthly father.  Thus.....not wanting to draw near, or incapable of seeing God as a Heavenly Father.  Abused people often see God as a judge or harsh person, not a loving Father who cherishes them and calls them Beloved.  Different people react differently! But EVERYONE has a root cause to the real pain they face.

Dig down, friends.  It IS important to get to the root issues of your past.

This doesn't mean you dwell on them.  It means you get some Christian counseling if needed or at least a close, trusted friend who knows how to intercede for you.  Who encourages you and prays WITH you, not just FOR you.

Who holds your hand along the way.

I give thanks to my counselor friend Cheryl S for doing this with me several years ago.  She helped me through a difficult time of digging down and getting to the root issue of something that was very damaging. Yes it took awhile.  Yes, I still struggle with certain things...it is a life long learning process!!!  NONE of us are made perfect yet!

We can know peace and joy though once we have removed those roots!

PULL OUT THAT ROOT.  It may take only a day.  It may take only a few times sharing your story with someone.  It might take years if it is abuse you are dealing with.  There are many layers to that and it affects people for many years.....there are many steps one must go through to be completely healed emotionally and spiritually.

Don't give up!  Press in!

Just like I had to literally dig in my heels and PULL with all my might to get that stubborn flower root out of my trellis box, so too, do you need to dig in and pull out the negative stuff that invades your heart.

HOW??

With God's help, and the help of a safe, trusted, born-again Christian friend or counselor. (if you have read Boundaries, you'll know what I mean by "safe person").  And...be careful if there are "unsafe" people in your life.  During your time of digging in and pulling out roots, you want to be surrounded by people who are going to lift you up, not pull you down.    We have to have discernment about who is edifying and who is a gossip or mean or judgemental, etc.  The Lord will show you!  

So....here's to my friend.  She is doing well and I am so proud of her.  She has been through a lot.

She is coming out strong because she is pulling out those roots and letting God plant her where she needs to be: firmly rooted in His Word, His Body of Believers, sharing with a friend, getting some help from counselors, and being open to what God has for her.

Once the root cause is known and dealt with, God will move mightily by His Power and Grace!

"The Lord is my Strength and my Shield; my heart trusts in Him and I am helped" Psalm 28:7

so...what's the picture He showed me?  A person, with dead roots all hacked away from the heart and vibrant, green growth sprouting up.....growth such as striving to be more Christ-like, becoming more emotionally intimate with trusted friends, reaching out to acquaintances and not just paying lip service....really reaching out, more compassion, really getting into His Word to stay healthy and fit, interceding for others, and worshiping Him with our whole minds, souls, hearts. 


GET DIGGIN'!!