“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:6 NIV 

Two weeks ago, a Category 4 Hurricane hit my city. There was catastrophic flooding and sustained winds of 130-150 mph for 8 hours that tore through the city of Cape Coral. Among the damage were the trees, the bushes, the plants. Two weeks later, we have power and water back but the landscape has changed. Last week, I went out to our back yard and looked at two of my favorite bushes. Both looked bare, brown and dead. Yesterday, I went out and realized one of them was still alive, budding tender green leaves. It looked dead and barren but it was still connected to its roots.

It was still rooted.

I’ve begun to look around the city as I drive and at this point it’s easy to see what trees are alive, they are the ones who are rooted and because they are rooted, they are blooming again.

Strong roots will withstand the fierce winds of life.

My prayer for you today is that your faith is so rooted in the love of God that it will hold when the storms rage over your life.

My prayer for you is that no matter what you’re facing today, that you will lean into Jesus and that His strong bands of love, loyalty, faithfulness and grace will hold onto you.

I pray that you will experience this love, His love, that is higher than the highest mountain summit, deeper than the deepest cavern of the sea, wider than the expanse of east to west and is stronger than the winds of trial than come to devastate.

If you’re breathing, you have roots.

I pray that you will allow God’s all encompassing, crisis surpassing, past restoring, future embracing love surround you, hold on to you and help you get through.

Amen.