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And You Think Rearranging Furniture is Tough

By: Dr. Skip Myers
EdgefieldDaily.com Columnist
web posted June 4, 2007
COLUMN – I have mentioned before the television show, “Dirty Jobs.” Lately I believe there should be a show entitled, “Awful Jobs No Husband Should Ever Have to do Just Because Their Wife Wants a Different Look to the Backyard.” Other than the title being a touch too long I think it has the potential of being a hit.  They could put it on HGTV and run a marathon on Father’s Day. Its weekly time slot could be right after “How HGTV Ruined My Life and Killed My Free Time.”

As you can tell from the introductory paragraph, I have embarked on a journey. The place is my backyard; the goal is to create an oasis fit for an episode of “Backyards of the Tired and Herniated.” Seriously, I have actually learned to enjoy recreating my home. But in doing so, I have discovered a job so hideous that I shiver just to mention it. It has cost me a torn shoulder, bruised knees, and elevated blood pressure. What is this job you may ask that sends chills down any husband’s spine? It involves anything from a simple shovel to a chain and a backhoe. You men know what it is: the dreaded job of digging up bushes and shrubbery--especially those that have been there for twenty plus years.

Roots and more roots present the greatest threat to this task. The more roots there are the tougher it is to move the plant. And then there are those ultra-annoying plants that have a tap root going straight down from the center of the root ball. You think you have every root cut but OH NO, there’s one more and no matter how you pry and dig that plant won’t budge until that tap root is cut. I cannot tell you how many shovels I have broken in the last month trying to pry up some innocent looking bush.

Sometimes I have found it comforting to try and make a spiritual parallel to things that just annoy me to no end. So as I sit here facing the prospect of another weekend of grunting and prying, I decided to prepare myself by trying to think about this task in a spiritual sense. And believe it or not, I actually came up with something. So here it goes.

Ask yourself how hard is it for you to be moved in your faith? Just how much prying does this world have to do before you are moved away from the closeness you should be enjoying with the Lord? The depth of our spiritual roots will determine the strength of our faith. Shallow roots mean we are easily shaken and moved. Shallow roots mean we are in danger of toppling over when the winds get strong.

Two verses of scripture come to mind: Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in our faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.  (Colossians 2:7) And in Psalm 1 those who delight in the law of the Lord are called a firmly planted tree by streams of water.

Developing a strong root system may not be as hard as you imagine. Begin with a strong tap root. This is your salvation relationship with the Lord. Be sure of it and let that one relationship be the center of your personal strength. Next, fertilize the soil by feeding your soul--go to church, read your Bible, learn to pray effectively.  You will find that this will enable your spiritual roots to spread into every area of your life giving you new meaning and purpose. Get enough water. Dry plants are weak. Water your relationship with Christ. Water refreshes a plant just like worship and praise refreshes the soul. And finally, realize that fruit and blooms are a product of strong roots. Let others see your faith by letting it bloom right before their eyes. The expression of your faith might just be what they need.

Well, I don’t know if this will make my physical task any easier but hopefully it has reminded us all that strong spiritual roots are a necessity in this world today. The world is always trying to dig us up spiritually. It won’t ever stop but we can be so rooted in Christ that we cannot be moved. I hope I don’t encounter a plant like that in my yard Saturday but I certainly want to encounter believers like that this Sunday. I’ll see you in His House or maybe I should say I’ll see you in His Backyard.

 

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