Roots

Each of us carry values. - Things that we hold dear to our hearts, things in our lives that define who we are, what we live for, and who we follow. These values that give us life. Maybe these can also be defined as our 'roots'. What supports the life that we sustain? What does all the work behind the scenes? What's the story within the soil?

In our garden Dad, my brother Isaac and I have recently undergone a bit of tree surgery on an old pear tree. Isaac did most of the work - hacking away at spindly branches to a place where the trunk was bear and could be ready for timber. When we finally felled the tree, chopped it into bit-sized pieces and lumbered it over to the side of the conservatory to leave until we figure out what to do next, the stump of the trunk and the roots were all that remained. The stage of uprooting the tree remains took about twice the amount of time that it took to chop the trunk down. Roots are tough.

Something that springs to mind whenever I'm creating something is the importance of the originality of that thing. That's something I always look to put out in the songs and the blog posts I write and in the artwork I create. There's definitely nothing wrong with adapting to your culture, picking up words and behaviours that you see around you, in fact I think it should be encouraged to some extent, but I think whenever someone hears something that you say or sees something you do that it should carry the distinctive YOU trademark. If this isn't the case we're faced with an identity crisis. The question is, Do you know who you are?


Who we are defines what we do. It defines our values. It defines our ability to create. A lot of people don't know this. Maybe you were one of them. And to you I want to say, "Congratulations!" Now you know. But who are you and what does this mean for you? Well, one thing's for sure. You can create, whoever you are, because as a human being, God's creation, you have been made in His likeness, and being a creative God, He has instilled His creative gift within you. I hope this gives you encouragement. A lot of our creativity comes in the form of free will. Free will and creativity are closely related and some in cases, can represent one another. Free will is the ability to decide to do what you want. The fact that we can make our own decisions for someone who likes to follow procedure is a scary concept. - The reason being that we can make mistakes sometimes. And this is the greatest argument for a life of surrender. Make a you decision... a creative decision... a free will decision... to have your identity - the trunk of your life - what is seen on the outside, rooted in Jesus Christ. This decision is about seeing your old ways and knowing they didn't always work. You didn't belong to anyone, so your values were always shifting and never stable. Recognising that you need someone as your roots, because some'thing' alone has no power to solidify your life. This decision is about knowing that your roots can't just be found in anyone, because you've tried that before. For a while you could rely on your friends. You enjoyed spending time with them and listening to them and learning from them, but in the end they did something that led you down a dark path. These roots are grounded in someone more supreme than man, because man can fail. This decision is about remembering everywhere you've been, that multiple paths don't work and that you need someone who is always reliable. This decision is about becoming rooted in Jesus Christ. He always loves. He always helps. He always reigns. He always forgives. He always speaks. He always listens. He is the perfect foundation for your roots. When your roots are placed in this fertile soil they will be strong. They will be anchored. They will be perfect. I'm in a blessed position to say that I know this soil well. I invite you to make your home in this garden. I am rooted in Christ. You can be too.