Roots, Part II

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,

whose confidence is in Him.

He will be like a tree planted by the water

that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes;

its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of drought,

and never fails to bear fruit."

Jeremiah 17:7-8

As promised, here is the second devotional I found on the subject of roots. It was, in fact the one I had wanted to share initially, til I found that sweet story of the doctor & his trees. This particular devotional is designed as a prayer, from the heart of a mother to her Lord. As I read it, I felt it described the desires for my own heart... as a mother, a friend. Read on...

"Good Roots" - by Marjorie Holmes

Help me to give my children good roots, God.

As I work with my plants I can see that the sturdiest, and those which bear most freely, are those whose roots go deep, gripping rich soil; they have a base from which they can grow tall and beautiful and sound.

Let this household furnish that kind of soil for my family, God. Enriched with good music, good books, good talk, good taste. But above all, goodness of spirit. Goodness of action.

So that those who come here feel welcome, and those who leave here feel warm. And those who live here know, in every fiber of their beings, that they belong to people who, for all our faults, are good people. People of decency and honor, who would not willingly hurt or cheat any living thing.

Let my children grow freely, God, in whatever direction their nature directs. But give them root strength too. So that they will never deviate too far from their own beginnings.

Help me to give my children good roots.