01/09/2026
Our pastor is teaching a series on being rooted in Christ and these thoughts have been sitting on my heart all week. I’m reflecting on how deeply this theme of roots, trees and fruit has lived in me…. I have long been drawn to trees; studying them, doodling them, painting them, taking pictures of them and just plain admiring them. Even the logo for my private practice is a tree. Maybe that’s weird or maybe God has been whispering something through this fascination for my whole life.
Even as a kid, I remember vividly the tree in my backyard that stood to the left of my swing set – I climbed it all the time, knew every step, memorized its branches and regularly accepted its invitation to escape. It was a comfort that is similar to being nestled up under “Big Mama” and soaking in all that love, but I didn’t have a “Big Mama” – my grandparents lived miles away. Digging further back in time, I also remember the two huge trees that sat on each side of a sand box as protection. 5-year-old me recalls details of root systems coming in and out of the ground as if they were swimming like dolphins in the bay. Then there was the tree system in my front yard that sprouted into three trees and provided the “club house” for me and two of my neighborhood friends – we each climbed our respective tree and in that place we brought to life our very first girl club. Each sacred place producing its fruit.
The scriptures referenced in last week’s sermon remind me how rich the metaphor of trees are in the Bible. They show us what it means to be rooted, nourished and alive. Trees bear fruit only because its roots go deep. They change seasons and appear to die in winter, only to be reborn in spring. They provide shade, shelter and a home for many of God’s living creations. No two trees are exactly alike – each one uniquely designed.
Jesus reminds us in John 15:8 that fruitfulness is not accidental, but is the evidence of connection. If we are rooted in Christ, fruit will come and our Creator will be glorified by it.
We often introduce ourselves to people by our vocation…it’s the easiest way to start a conversation by saying what we do and asking someone else what they do. But what if instead, we introduced ourselves by who we serve? I’m inspired by people like my husband, who identifies himself not just as a business owner but as someone who serves Christ through his work. He carries his two set of cards most of the time; one for his business and the other for church. Nearly everyone he meets gets an invitation to church. His work has become a branch bearing fruit.
In my own journey, I’ve watched God gently transform my therapy practice, The Center for Hope & Healing, into something more than a workplace. It has become a place of refuge and my tree logo symbolizes shelter, restoration and care. Christian music plays in my lobby and Daily Bread devotionals rest on the coffee table. I notice God opening the door more and more for conversations about faith to happen naturally. This week, I prayed for every client God sent me and invited Him into the room and amazing things happened – things that I could never have orchestrated on my own. I give God the glory.
Finally, my heart did a little leap yesterday when my daughter got in the car and casually announced she had invited one of the parents in her daycare to church. I thought about the fruit that may come from that small interaction.
Where has God already planted you and are you inviting Him in to fertilize your soil and strengthen your roots?
