Day 8: Remember

The tallest tree in the world is 379.7 feet tall.  It is a coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) and is in Redwood National Park in California.  Every year, tourists from all around the world journey to this national park to observe the mighty trees and unique forest ecosystem.  They marvel at the massive size of the trunks, gazing up in wonder and admiration.

But we mustn’t forget what keeps these beauties standing tall through the sun, the wind, and the rain.  Beneath the towering trunks and reaching branches lies an intricate network of roots; a network of strength and power that supports the tree, hidden beneath the ground and away from tourists’ eyes.

Remember your roots.  The roots of those who have gone before us and paved the way for our journey.  The roots of the people who support us day in and day out.  The roots of those present, and of those past.  The roots of those close, and of those far.

As Christians, our roots lie in Judaism.  The narrative in Hebrews 11 outlines the roles that our predecessors played in a great story of faith.  From Abel to Noah, and Abraham to Moses, we are told how these people lived by faith.  The account finishes with Jesus in Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith…”

Our roots are deep.  Our roots are firm in the love of God, and our roots will help us stand even amid the greatest adversity.  We are not alone in this race.  Countless have gone before, and Jesus walks with us.  Remember your roots.