Growing Roots

As I look back on my faith journey I am in awe of the many different ways God has cultivated my faith. He has used His word, blessings, trials, mountaintops, miracles, prayer, voice, friendships and so many other ways to grow the roots of my faith.

And once again, the Gardner is at work. He is pouring His blessing over me as He encourages and calls me to actually live my faith – to live Christ-like.

You see, despite my better judgment I got involved with the PAC at my daughter’s school by heading the Dress Code Committee. I naively thought that it would be a simple process – but it has been anything but simple. We have ended up needing a mediator – yes a mediator – to help the Executive and Committee navigate the world of polo shorts, cargo pants, leggings, and the colour of tights and socks!

There have been many moments that I have wanted to just throw my hands up and walk away. For goodness sake, it is just clothes!!! But every time I have tried to do just that, God has told me “no”. He has reminded me of integrity. He has reminded me of the importance of finishing what I have started. He has reminded me that I need to lean on Him.

Trust me, as I have prayed I have asked God if I’m hearing Him right. This just doesn’t seem big enough to be a “God issue”. It is a public school where a bunch of privileged parents are haggling over minute details of their child’s uniform – there has to be better and greater things that God needs to deal with!

Then God spoke very clearly to me. He told me that this is actually about ME and not the uniform being debated. Wow! He instantly put Matthew 5:16 on my heart, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Hmmm …. How God’s Word can make something so murky become so clear.

You see, a part of me wanted to be right at any cost! But, God showed me in one verse that being right was not my goal nor the measure of my success. Nope, God wants me to glorify Him in all I do. I am to live and walk my faith.

Our amazing Gardner has been weeding my garden of the hostility, the anger, the despair, the frustration and the hurt so my light can shine before others for His Glory. As He tends my garden He is opening my blind eyes and deaf ears so the fruits of the spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control - can grow.

Yes, God is challenging me to grow! He uses the trials, whatever they are on this Earth, to grow us in our faith. To make us more Christ-like each and every day.

Philippians 4:4-16 is the perfect passage of God’s expectations of my conduct for the meeting tonight.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. (Yes my reasonableness; not my stubbornness, not my anger, not my frustrations) The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Yes I need to pray before, during, and after this meeting. God wants to be there with me).  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Oh what an amazing promise!)

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Without a doubt there will be negative things to dwell on, but God wants me to see beyond the darkness and focus on the honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable and excellent. I will rise to His challenge!) What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Oh how I crave to feel the God of peace near me.)

God’s love and grace has shown me that I am not at the meeting because a uniform policy is of great, worldly importance, but rather, this is an opportunity to feel and live my renewed self. This is my chance to shine for all the great works God has done within me. It is my chance to rise above hostility and remember that “a fools mouth lashes out with pride, but the lips of the wise protect them” (Proverbs 13:17) and that, “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24). 

There are certainly moments when I think that this challenge is too great - the I will just fall to the level that all the others are conducting themselves, but it is then that I will be constantly praying and reminding myself that "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13). 

Yes God has placed me at this meeting, not because of a uniform, but rather to help the roots of my faith grasp the incredible soil that He has planted me in.