But since they have no root, they last only a short time. (Mark 4:17)
GARDENERS KNOW that roots are tricky. Having just built a small greenhouse of salvaged windows, I am going a bit crazy trying to root all kinds of things. Currently, I am trying to root an avocado pit. Did you know it takes two to three weeks before a pit even starts to show any sign of breaking open? Then you have to wait on roots to develop. Weeks and weeks of keeping the water level right and waiting.
Why does rooting take so long? It seems like much of the Christian life is spent waiting and rooting. When will I ever learn this lesson (develop roots here) and move on? Or, I thought I had developed some roots here (learned that lesson) and here it is again.
I wish God had not made the process so slow—or that He would zap me and my roots would appear and stabilize my stalk (growth) and I could bear fruit way quicker. . . . But spiritual formation is a long, slow process.
Those in our “speed of light” culture who put down roots will not wither. How? By spending daily time in the Word and cultivating a relationship with God that is more real than any human relationship in your life. There is no other way.
Slow is good; take time for roots.
Kathy Bence lives in Idaho with her professor husband, Phi
