A neighbor of mine decided she was going to plant a Paperbark Maple tree. A Paperbark Maple is a type of tree that has soft green leaves that turn scarlet in the fall and papery sheets of bark peel to reveal cinnamon-brown new bark. It’s an elegant looking tree when mature.

When the tree arrived, it was already relatively tall. As soon as I saw the hole my neighbor had dug for the tree, I knew the hole was too shallow. I know this because where I live, there is only a few inches of topsoil and then limestone and coral the rest of the way down.

Upon seeing this, I told her she needed to dig deeper for the roots to take hold. She looked at me and told me it would be okay because she was also going to secure the tree in place with straps and stakes. I disagreed.

Sure enough, a couple of weeks later, a small storm came through, and the tree was leaning on its side. She then raised it back up and re-secured the straps and stakes. A couple of weeks after that another storm came, and the same thing happened.

Then one day, as I was pulling into my driveway, I noticed she hired someone with a backhoe digging a deeper hole. As I was walking into my home, I greeted her to which she replied, “Don’t say I told you so!” with a smirk.

My story reminds me of what scripture says in Jeremiah about the tree firmly planted. It says it will endure when the heat and storms come and, more importantly, bear fruit.

Daily Directive:

Read:

Read and meditate on Jeremiah 17:7-8 for yourself. What does this verse say to you? Meditate on it, memorize it, do whatever it takes for it to sink in.

Pray:

How can you be sure your roots are firmly planted in God’s word and prayer to be ready for the storms coming? Journal the journey. Be real. Be honest.

Meditate / Make It Real:

What will you do today to start digging deeper into God’s word and prayer to strengthen your roots? Share this with a fellow brother and have them hold you accountable.