Cut Me From My Roots

Who knew one little plant could affect a person so much.

If you checked out last week’s Throwback, today’s is a follow up to the post. I wrote a poem reflecting how easy it is to judge the actions of the Lord when He truly knows better than we do. Often, we have to learn the hard way- His way is always right.

I’m comfortable.
I’m growing.
My roots are deep.
I’m sowing.

I don’t like change.
Leave me here.
False sense of control.
Tons of fear.

Prune my leaves.
But don’t prune me
off from my roots
and set me free.

I’ll die without roots.
Why would You take what is precious?
My roots. My home.
Don’t You know that I’m self-conscious?!

My journey.
My life.
It’s about me, don’t You see?
I’ll wave to the Potter, but don’t set me free!

I already have too much pain here.
I already have too much fear.
How could I deal with more burdens alone?
How could You could move me to a different home?

Snip.

The cut’s been made.
The pain overwhelms.
I see my grave!
Despair. Loss. No control.

New location.
A window.
It’s an ugly place.
I want my old home and disgrace!

I can’t rely on what I knew.
Everything here is brand new.
The Potter moved me with His hand.
He’s so cruel and misunderstands!

I’m put in a bowl filled with clear water.
It’s a different experience and I’m beginning to get softer.
I’ve made it this far and I’m starting to grow.
Perhaps, the Potter knows better and more than I know.

But alas, no roots.
Yet, I’m still being fed.
I must admit I’m living
and not dead.

The Potter approaches,
some food He offers.
I hesitant, but there’s no where to turn.
I must rely on His hand, I’ve learned.

Just within days, new roots appear!
Much stronger before, no attached fear.
The Potter, you see, cares much about me.
I needed new roots in order to see.

His hand in my life.
His care in the soil.
The reason why roots
must go through some toil.

My previous roots
were pretty much weeds.
Killing me inside
and blinding from needs.

I rested upon myself
and not the Potter’s hand.
I was starving within.
It was I, who did not understand.

This was inspired by a recent experience I had. I had accidentally cut off a cucumber plant I grew from seed and attempted to save it. Through this experience, the Lord ministered to me about His grace being sufficient. God truly knows better than we do, especially in our trials. See: A Broken Plant Made Me Weep (Realizing God’s Grace)

The Gospel Message– The Gospel message is good news, which means there’s bad news. We all are sinners and condemned. We all deserve the just punishment of God’s wrath. Christianity is unlike any other religion because we cannot earn our way into Heaven. God saw the weakness of man and his utter depravity. Yet, He showed us grace. Jesus, God, One Person of the Trinity, became God in the flesh, the God-Man. He was always perfect and sinless. And His humanity was perfected on the cross, living the full sinless life. He became our atonement sacrifice. Dying in our place, taking on the wrath of God upon Himself. He died on the cross, and He was resurrected because death could not hold Him. Jesus is the answer. We, as guilty sinners, need His blood to pay off our debt of sin. For all who put their faith in Him – meaning eyes are opened to the Gospel, we see ourselves as a sinner, we see the need for Christ, we desire our Savior, and we see the ugliness of our sin. Putting our faith in Jesus, we seek HIs forgiveness and repent from our sins, we turn away from our old way of life. We, through the work of the Holy Spirit, continue to become convicted of sin daily. Our eyes will never be the same again. We see things in a different light, and the truth of Christ affects how we live and serve Him. Christ tells us to count the cost. Salvation is a serious topic, it is not to be taken lightly. For a breakdown of this powerful message, understanding how Christ could be God and Man, why God required sacrifices, and more -please see: Why Did A Loving God Kill His Son? (Does God Hate?)

If you think you know the Gospel, check out these questions and see how prepared you are for the day someone might ask you why you believe: The Gospel Challenge (30 Question Quiz) – Are You Ready To Defend Your Faith?