“He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of the water…” Psalms 1:3

I can still see the kindergarten version of myself out in the front yard of my childhood home, planting my little tree we had gotten at school that day. We dug the hole and secured the tiny roots firmly in the ground. I was so proud of my little tree.

A few weeks later, my little tree was backed over by a car. It demolished the little tree, broke it right in half.

I was so upset. This was the end of my little tree.

It had been broken and would not survive.

The sentiment echoes our feelings in life from time to time. The “car” backs over us. We feel we are broken and will not survive.

It is amazing though, what a damaged tree will do when the roots are firmly planted in the ground. It is equally amazing what we, as humans, will do when our “roots” are planted firmly in the ground.

I’ve been through things in this life that I would not have survived had I not had Jesus with me, had I not had His Word to carry me through.

We read His promises. We soak in the encouragement and the pure joy of the Holy Spirit as we hold on to each and every verse.

I’ve written them down. I’ve posted them around my home and around my office. I read them out loud.

Then the car comes along and BAM! Breaks us. Without those promises, without those roots, we would not survive. Not on our own. But with our roots grounded firmly in Jesus, we start to grow again. Before you know it, you’ve grown stronger than you were before.

Remember at the beginning, when I said we dug a hole and secured the tiny roots firmly in the ground? My little tree may have been broken, but it grew back bigger and stronger than before.

It’s been nearly 40 years since then, but the last time I drove by my old house, that tree was still standing as strong and tall as ever.

That’s what happens when your roots are firmly planted.