Uprooted. A word that can have different meanings to different people. Some think of plucking a plant up out of the ground. Others may think of having to move to another state or home suddenly. While others may view being uprooted as being taken completely off guard and just tossed aside and forgotten.
To me, uprooting something is a pretty harsh action. When I think of the word "uproot", my mind automatically pictures a plant being yanked up out of the ground.
It could have been a weed infesting your garden, it could have been a plant you no longer wanted and you want to replace it with something better, or it could have been something that no longer had life to it.
Now lets look at the opposite term, "rooted". When you plant something, it develops roots that grow deep into the ground. It takes daily work to keep these roots strong and healthy. It takes watering, pruning and constant attention. The more healthy your plant is, the stronger it's roots will be and the more resilient it will become. It will be able to better handle severe weather or storms that it may endure.
So keeping these two terms in mind, let's look at life. First we will delve in the face of being uprooted. In life, being uprooted is typically not a happy occasion. There's usually factors involved. Confusion. Hurt. Bitterness. Uncertainty. They are heavy feelings that can envelope you completely...because of all of the things you had planned, this wasn’t one of them. You weren’t expecting to say goodbye–without actually getting to say it. You weren’t expecting to lose a best friend or a soulmate. You weren't expecting to not know where to go from here or how your life turned this direction. You were expecting it all to go as you planned. You may have plans for marriage and kids, excited for your future. You may have had plans to stay at your current job until you retire. Maybe you had plans for a certain feeling after you graduated from High School or College. You may have been excited about moving to your new place or maybe you had a different expectation on how your life would be at this moment. Expectations of happiness and fulfillment! After all, you've worked very hard and sacrificed many things to get to where you are today! Things were going just the way you thought and expected. Life was wonderful! Then your life was uprooted. I'm sure so many of you can relate in your own personal scenarios.
We think we have it all sorted out, but I think God just smiles, holds out His arms of grace, and tells us to come sit with Him for a while.
In any scenario, God tells us there is a decision our minds have to make: To tell our hearts to trust. To trust HIM. I know that nothing that is happening in my life right now is wasted. Everything I am being brought through is bringing me close to where I am suppose to be.
Maybe the uprooting has carried you somewhere new where you can bloom into something so much greater. It’s not to deprive you of life – it’s to give you so much more.
Maybe the uprooting has carried you somewhere where you can better use your talents and gifts to breathe life into the lives of others. It’s not to stifle your joy – it’s to multiply it.
Maybe the uprooting has carried you somewhere dark so that you can be the light. It’s not to separate you from Jesus – it’s to make your connection with Him so much stronger.
Wherever you are in the everyday of life: God’s love is too great to leave you where He doesn’t want you to be. Sometimes–most times–this means an uprooting.
If your storm has wrecked your plans and uprooted your heart – maybe it’s because He wants to send you in a different direction. Maybe it’s to get you to stop, step back, and focus your life and love on something entirely different. Maybe what you see as a wreck and a mistake is actually God saving you from something so much worse.
Maybe the storm–your storm–is a grace in disguise.
Because the One who made you knows where you need to be in order for you to become most like Him. He knows where you need to be to best offer your gift (the gift/s He instilled in you) to the world. He knows where you need to be to have the closest relationship with Him. He is not going to let the wind of the current season pull you away from Him.
Uprooting - if looked at in the right light - will actually deepen your roots in Christ.
Ephesians 3:16-19 talks about "being rooted and grounded in love".
Mark 4:17 talks about having weak roots. "And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away".
Jeremiah 17:8 talks about having strong roots in Christ. "He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
These verses go on and on. In fact, the bible talks about being rooted at least 60 times.
So right now, no matter how you are being uprooted in your life, focus on God.
He will never lead you the wrong direction. It it's sadness your struggling with, get connected with people who can uplift you and pray for you. If it's loneliness your struggling with, get involved in the church by joining or leading a ministry. If it's fear of the future, the bible says to "fear not". Put your future in God's hands and watch where He leads you!
Support each other, love each other, and most importantly, let your roots grow deep, so you can stand strong in any season you are in.
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