I am writing this the day after Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast leaving a path of destruction, especially in the mid-Atlantic area. While I had some heavy rain and powerful wind gusts here, for the most part it seems we made it through okay. As I watched the wind buffet the trees, wondering if any would fall, I began to compare trees to people. Like trees, people have an ability to bend under enormous pressure. We can deal with a lot of problems, put up with a lot before we break. Surveying the damage in the neighborhood, seeing the trees which have fallen, I noticed that it is the ones with strong root systems which stood through the storm. The uprooted trees all have weak root systems, roots which instead of going deep, run along the surface.

This is the same with our faith. Those who have deep roots in their faith are the ones who can withstand the storms of life. They can deal with the problems life throws at us, the job loss, the illness, the current political situation, with deep roots, a strong faith, they know that God is there and has their backs. It doesn’t mean they can just let things go and everything will be all right, but they know God won’t let them fail. 

During the storm, I was reading the parable of the sower, one of my favorites. In this parable Jesus tells us how seeds are dropped along a path and what happens to them. It is the ones that fall among the good soil that thrive. Why? Because they develop deep roots.  (Luke 8: 4 – 15)

It is never too late for us to expand our roots. We can increase the depth of our roots and when the next storm comes we will be ready. Like the seeds which fell among the thorns, we still have a chance to thrive if we pull out the weeds and nourish the seeds.

In today’s world it isn’t easy, there are a lot of distractions and temptations out there, but it can be done.