ROOTS...

Several weeks ago at church Jason preached on "Relational Roots" and how important relationships with other believers are in our spiritual growth. Ever since that sermon I have been reflecting A LOT on my "ROOTS" and the JOY it brings to do LIFE with people who LOVE Jesus and LOVE me, with me returning the same love!

One of the statements Jason made was "get all up in your soil." Meaning that there will be times when one of your relational roots will have to point out something IN YOU that isn't benefiting the Kingdom or yourself. The key is those relationships are built on JESUS, with lots of give and take...with lots of encouragement...with lots of FUN MOMENTS...so that way when your "root" speaks some TRUTH over your life, you can receive it. Sometimes it will be painful and sometimes it will be freeing...and if we receive it, then it will be beneficial to our spiritual growth.

I'm in a season of life/ministry that is MORE than I could have ever imagined. I am OVERWHELMED DAILY (in a great way) at the amount of ministry God has entrusted to Jason and me. I don't take it lightly, the calling HE has on my life. Ministry can be VERY lonely at times...especially when your husband is the "boss", Lead Pastor. But this is what I know for sure...GOD, in his PERFECT LOVE FOR ME has blessed me with relational roots that I simply am not worthy of, yet he saw fit to give me. These are women who pour their hearts out to God...ON MY BEHALF! They encourage me, love me, hold my arms up when I am too weary to go on, they go to coffee with me and chat about nothing yet its everything, they work out with me (they tell me I need to work out), they shop with me, they watch my kids, they memorize scripture with me (they ask me if I have been in God's word), they worship alongside of me, they call at the right moments, they discern how to minister to my family, they hug me, they go to the movies with me (even movies they would rather not see), they celebrate highs and cry in the lows...they are my roots...they are tangible Jesus' here on earth...and THEY GET ALL UP IN MY SOIL!!!! And then they give me the opportunity to "dig in their soil." We do LIFE together!

I know what you might be thinking, of course you have amazing roots...you are in ministry. HA! There have been times over my 12 years of ministry that I have NOT had amazing roots...and in those moments I begged God for TRUE friendships...and over the last several years he has brought a harvest out of those moments of tears! Friendships are priceless. Im thankful MORE today than ever before for the women that God has placed alongside of me to run this Christian race with. I feel honored to call them my "relational roots!"