SHAKING OUR ROOTS and BEING REPLANTED

Jan Riggenbach writes a newspaper column on gardening. In an article, she wrote about how to plant bedding plants, we learn something about Christian growth.

“Giving new bedding plants some rough treatment at planting time,” she says, “may be the best thing you can do to help them survive in my garden. When I was new to gardening, I tried to set tomatoes, petunias, and other bedding plants in the garden without disturbing their roots at all. Nowadays, I’m much more ruthless….”
Riggenbach says she squeezes the bottoms of the flexible plastic pots to get the plants out of their container and then she inspects the soil ball.
“If the plant has been growing in its pot so long that the roots are circling the bottom,” says Riggenbach, “I jab my finger into the bottom of the soil and pull down to untangle the roots…. If the whole pot is filled with circling roots, I have to be merciless. I don’t worry if I break some of the roots; that’s better than allowing the roots to continue to circle when the plants are growing in the garden. Most bedding plants shrug off this rough treatment.”

Christians often resemble root bound plants. We grow complacent and comfortable where we are. Our roots circle around and around in the same small area, no longer reaching out for life and nourishment and growth. The healthiest thing God can do for us is shake up our roots and put us in new soil.
** from Engaging Illustrations: Craig Brian Larson & Leadership Journal

Please read John 15:1-8

As Spring is upon us, I realize that “shake up” (change) is being played out here in the life of this congregation. …….