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I love how nature can teach me so many lessons about my life and my faith walk.

When my family and I were vacationing this summer we took a drive through Spearfish Canyon, in Spearfish, South Dakota. It is a beautiful drive with several places to stop and explore. In some places, the canyon walls in places were very steep, and trees littered the landscape.

I started to notice that there were several places where very large trees stood with the majority of their roots fully exposed. Rain and washout of the canyon foundations left the roots open to the elements.

And yet the trees stood strong, seemingly unfazed.

At one point in our drive we pulled off to hike to a small waterfall. Here too I found several places where the trees’ foundations had been washed away, yet the roots seemed firmly planted deep in the ground.

Ephesians 3:14-19 “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,  from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,  that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,  may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,  and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

As the water rushed and rolled over the hill, the trees were not moved, they stood firm regardless of what was happening around them or to them.

And I thought back to times in my own life when it felt like I was being washed away. Those times when I felt like I wasn’t going to be able to hang on. When my dreams and plans were crushed and I felt hopeless and alone.

Have you ever been there friend?

One of the things that I love so much about this community is that I am finding again and again that I am not alone! The women who write here and read here, who comment and encourage – you all feel like home to me.

This steadfast faith in God has been building in me over the years. (<====Click to Tweet)

It hasn’t always been easy; it has been a journey. A journey in which you have had a part of, and I am so grateful.

Because God is the One that draws us together.

He is the ultimate creator of community. And to be a source of light in community, we first must be deeply rooted in our knowledge and understanding of God.

Colossians 2:6-7 “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

I am no good here, or with my family, if I am not first starting with establishing a faith and a secure foundation with God.

I don’t always do this well either. Believe me, I spend more time in a day on Facebook or other social media channels than I do reading His Word. I hate to admit that, but it is true.

We are all busy, life happens and sometimes we push certain things to the side. Something has to give, right?

But I am coming to see how much I need to make time with God, learning about Him and His love for us, a priority. To make sure that I am deeply rooted in a relationship with Him. So when the storm comes, and trouble hits, and my roots are exposed I remain grounded firmly in Him. (<====Click to Tweet)

Shared By: Kristin Smith