Have you ever really taken a close look at a tree’s roots? Typically that’s not the part of the tree most of us see, especially since in most cases the roots are below the surface. What we tend to see is the part of the tree that’s visible, the part that’s majestic and beautiful – the tree itself, the trunk and branches. We don’t see the parts below the surface, the hidden part that is actually the important part of the tree, the part of the tree that is anchoring it, keeping it upright, keeping it strong.
Tree roots don’t only grow downward beneath the trunk, they spread horizontally, sometimes spreading multiple times wider than the tree itself. These roots act as anchors to provide stability, securing the tree from wind, floods and erosion. Sometimes, the roots become visible as they have in the photos I’ve captured here, demonstrating just how complex the root system is and how intertwined the roots become, working together to support the tree.
If you’ve been reading my blogs for even a short time, you know that my mind often sees things in analogies. That’s what happened when I saw a number of exposed roots on our recent travels. I think people are like trees. We do our best to stand tall, to withstand the elements of life trying not to topple or succumb to the conditions that sometimes challenge us, but like trees, it’s what is below the surface - our inner ‘roots’ that help support us. Those roots are a number of things – the stamina we've built from the challenges we’ve faced and overcome, the relationships developed in our life, friends who have been there through life’s trials, the wisdom we've gained along the way, and most importantly – our faith. We probably couldn’t survive some of life’s challenges without one or all of these ‘roots’ to support us. We need each other and we need something bigger than ourselves. Some of us have faced more challenges than others. Over time, our network of ‘roots’ becomes larger and more complex, yet it sits below the surface, invisible to the naked eye and to the common observer. We all look the same on the surface, but no one sees the reality of the complex, woven system of supports each of us has had to develop in life to keep us standing and strong.
Last year we stumbled upon this tree, leaning at a 45 degree angle, it’s root system exposed to the elements but still seeming to thrive, fully leafed out. We assumed it had toppled recently and being exposed had not yet affected its survival.
This year we saw the same tree, it’s roots visible from a distance down the road. I assumed the tree would be dead, but I was wrong. It was covered with leaves, even with it’s vulnerable condition, exposed to the elements for almost a year. It had survived despite its flawed and exposed condition.
How amazing! Its massive root system still working to sustain it! Its resilience reminded me of some people I know, people who have endured challenge after challenge, nearly losing the battle, but who have continually called upon their ‘roots’ and their faith and have endured storm after storm. Some of these people don’t appear as majestic or powerful on the surface, but below the surface they are strong because over time, they have developed a root system, and that system supports them time after time, proving that if we let it, our root system will protect us in wind and rain and even hurricanes of life.
Storms make trees take deeper roots. - Dolly Parton
In the Amazon rain forest, the tall trees depend on shallow roots that link with nearby trees. This forms a web called a ‘root mat’ that provides support during difficult conditions. Like the trees of the Amazon, we too sometimes need to rely on a web of support to see us through the storms. If nature provides this type of protection for the trees, surely we were not created to stand alone. Most of us are fortunate enough to have a ‘root mat’, a network of people who love us and are willing to support us. Sometimes we forget that, we see ourselves above the surface and because we’ve endured storm after storm, we see ourselves as strong, resilient and able to withstand anything. But we don’t always have to be strong on our own, we can call on our network of support to help us.
It is in the roots, not the branches, that a tree's greatest strength lies.
- Matshona Dhliwayo
Even the oldest, tallest, most majestic tree could not survive long were it not for the roots below it. Any small storm, any gust of wind would cause it to topple. But God didn’t create trees without roots, just as He didn’t create mankind to live independently during life’s storms. The world today is full of storms, some literal and some just mental, emotional or physical. Trying to withstand storms on our own can be both dangerous and detrimental. Unlike these trees, our roots are rarely visible to the casual observer, and sometimes even we lose sight of them. Often it's not until we are in real danger, already compromised like these leaning trees, that our roots become visible. Sometimes we need a reminder that they even exist. I hope this can serve as a reminder to live like a tree and call on your roots to help you when a storm threatens your stability, when you feel tired or discouraged, when life seems to be overwhelming. You have roots! Be grateful for the roots you’ve developed, the roots that have sustained you and the roots that will never fail you! You are not alone!
Let us not be surprised when we have to face difficulties. When the wind blows hard on a tree, the roots stretch and grow the stronger, Let it be so with us. Let us not be weaklings, yielding to every wind that blows, but strong in spirit to resist. - Amy Carmichael
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