Planted

…for my Mother-in-Love. Thank you.

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,

     they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;

planted in the house of the Lord,

     they will flourish in the courts of our God.

They will still bear fruit in old age,

     they will stay fresh and green,

proclaiming, “The Lord is upright;

     he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”

Psalm 92:12-14

She attacked the roots with a frenzy, her hair flying in all directions, brow crinkled in concentration. 

We must help them let go.

The little gardenias had become root-bound in their pots while they sat in the nursery waiting for a buyer. Then we came along, bright-eyed and dreaming of the landscape around our new home. These petite bushes would grow big and their bounteous blooms would fill our entire garden with delicate perfume.

But right now, they were under attack, it would seem, by a mad gardener.

If we do not loosen the roots, their growth will be stunted.

She slowed down, strong hands gone gentle now as she carefully disentangled the massive ball of tangled roots one by one. The rigid ball of dirt and roots was loosening, liberated. Set free to grow.

My mother-in-love is a Master Gardener, and she has taught me much over the years about the Master Gardener of our souls. Those gardenias she helped me plant thirteen years ago are now lush and heavy with blossoms. Today, the new owners of that house and garden are enjoying the beautiful, mature outcome of her wisdom.

We all become root-bound at one time or another. 

Like little gardenias meant to spread out and bear fragrant blossoms, we were created to grow and produce the fragrance of Christ in the garden of the world.

We were meant to be planted by the Lord. #spiritualgrowth Share on X

And when our space becomes too small for the big growing we are meant to do, when our roots become all wrapped up in each other and there is no more soil to consume in the place we occupy, the Master Gardener takes us up in His strong hands. With determination, he un-pots us and tackles the tangled roots of our comfort and familiarity.

I must help you let go.

Those strong hands grow gentle as He carefully loosens our roots one by one from the old soil, depleted of its nutrients.

If I do not loosen your roots, your growth will be stunted.

And then He stands up straight, looks carefully at the mess He has made, and smiles.

Now you are ready.

After that, He carries us to the place He has specially prepared, the new little plot in His garden where we are meant to grow bigger and spread His perfume for all who come near, and even for some who will catch it on the breeze as they pass. They might just pause to take a closer look because we’ve grown to our full fragrance and stature.

I want to be like a gardenia, growing to her full capacity. This requires some mess, some terror, even, as the Master Gardener sees fit to un-pot me and separate my roots so they can breathe and grow stronger. But to be planted by the Lord comes with certain promises I don’t want to miss, especially as I grow older (see today’s Psalm.)

Maybe you are root-bound today. Signs of being root bound are boredom, restlessness, dissatisfaction. A vague yearning for something More. A lack of fulfillment, even as your soul urges you that you were meant for more in God’s garden.

Invite God to examine your pot today. Trust Him as He takes you in hand and tackles the roots that have you bound. If you can, in the tussle, peek just over His shoulder and you may see the little plot of garden He has dug up and fertilized, carefully measured and prepared for your next stage of growth and fragrance. The Master Gardener can be trusted.

Lord, thank You for loving us so much You don’t leave us root bound in our tiny pots. Amen.

@audreycfrank

 

Photo by Timothy Dykes on Unsplash