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"Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong." (Ephesians 3:17 NLT)
With little roots, Tom sold most of his belongings and headed out.
Tom had a fragile childhood. His father was known as a rowdy type, a sailor with a woman in every port. Naturally, things between his mother and father fell apart because his father wouldn’t stop carousing. Then, the day came when his mom met a man from Florida. Before he knew it, they were married and moving to Florida—without him.
Tom was left to live with his grandmother, who lived with her daughter, son-in-law, and their two children. His aunt and uncle became his parents, and his two cousins became his brother and sister.
Tom’s life wasn’t much different than his father’s. None of his marriages lasted long. Since he couldn’t father his own children, when the marriage dissolved, so did all the roots that went with it. When his last wife died from cancer, Tom sold almost everything he had, loaded his horses and belongings in a trailer, and hit the road.
Sometimes, I feel a little like Tom. As a preacher’s kid and then a preacher myself, moving from place to place came with the territory. We often missed family reunions because of church, so I depended greatly on my grandmother to keep me updated. Mom and Dad’s sister are the only family matriarchs my family has left.
Although my earthly roots are somewhat fragmented—and now relatively shallow—my spiritual roots run deep. Distance, divorce, and death can shatter and fragment genealogical roots, but the root that extends into God’s love is deep. In fact, it is a tap root with no end.
Others may leave us in life for numerous reasons. We ourselves will one day leave this earth behind. But if we are rooted in God’s love, we have a large family planted worldwide. Though our physical families dwindle and fragment, our spiritual families are found anywhere we go because we find people rooted in God’s love.
When it appears your family roots are slowly dissipating, remember how large your spiritual family is. Pray for them and enjoy spending time with them.
Father, I thank you for giving me spiritual family across this globe.
Martin WIles
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