Roots

We took our evening walk tonight, as usual. I love this time of year so much. The air is crisp and the leaves are beginning to change. The sound of crunching leaves under the boys feet is musical. Ramsay decided to give us a science lesson about trees as we walked around the town. He shared that the roots are very important because they take in all the nutrients for the tree. He was "teaching" us that if the tree didn't have good deep roots, then it wouldn't have green leaves. He said that when we get a lot of rain the roots suck up as much as they can so that when it doesn't rain the roots hold enough water to sustain the tree. Of course this is the condensed version of what he told us, simply because I would like to be in bed before ten tonight :) This got me to thinking about our spiritual roots. What Ramsay said this evening was so profound. It is important to have ourselves so deeply rooted in Christ that when we go through a drought, our roots can sustain us. In order for us to "water" our roots, we have to dig into the Word of God. We have to spend time praying and fasting. We have to commune with God. If I never spent time with my husband we would have a relationship that is barely touching the surface. We make it a point to spend time together though, we talk and date and get to know one another (yes, even after ten years! We are both changing all the time!) I would say that we have a deep rooted relationship. It takes work though. It takes selflessness. These same qualities should show up in our relationship with God. As God showed me earlier this week, he longs for us to draw close to him. My prayer is for God to just let it rain. Let his presence rain and soak up my roots. The thing is, when roots are healthy and get enough water, they grow deeper. Thank you my little Ramsay for your wisdom and insight, you teach me more every day than I could have ever imagined. Let it rain.

Love.

We were having an amazing church service this morning. Worship was so raw, the Spirit was so heavy (in a good, overwhelming way). I was so captivated by the Love of God, and as I was resting in his peace, Nikolai starts pulling on my pants leg. I could here his "Mom, Mom, Mommy...." I looked down at him and with his gorgeous eyes wide he said, "Can you just hold me for a while?" At first I was a little annoyed, I was really longing for this time with My Lord. I  picked him up though and went back into that sacred place holding him. He gently layed his head down on my shoulder, and whispered, "Thank You Mom! I just want to be close to you."

My little guy had no idea what revelation he had brought to me by that brief statement. The longing he had to be close to me and to be held, is the same longing I have to be close to God.  My eyes welled with tears at the realization that this desire that I have to be with God is not one sided. The same God who told the ocean where to stop, who placed the stars in the sky, and who died so I could live is beckoning me. He is saying to me, "Maranda, stop. Just let me hold you. Quit squirming. Stop whining. Don't worry. Stop thinking. Just lay your head down and breathe." The Love of a Father.