Uprooting

This afternoon I am undertaking an essential activity: catching up on the second series of Downton Abbey, in readiness for tonight's new series.

 

In the episode I am just watching, Edith - one of the Crawley daughters - has taken up driving and offers to help a local farmer drive the tractor.  One of the tasks that she is asked to do is to help uproot an old tree trunk  (which is about two feet wide), by attaching a chain to the tree stump and then to the tractor.  As she drives away, the viewer has the satisfaction of watching the stump being yanked from the soil.  It falls sideways and the deep roots are exposed.

 

Sometimes we have deadwood and old tree stumps in our lives which need uprooting too.  Things which have taken root down in the depths of our souls.  Resentment and bitterness and regrets and hurts and wounds and lies.  Things which have taken hold and which have spread through our hearts.  Dead things which have no use or purpose and need to be pulled up.

 

Jesus said,

“Every tree that wasn’t planted by my Father in heaven will be pulled up by its roots."

[Matthew 15:13 MSG]

 

And Paul talks about destroying these dead things in our hearts and in our lives, the things which prevent us from knowing God properly:

"We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God."

[2 Corinthians 10:4-5 NLT]

 

But sometimes we can't uproot these things by ourselves - we need the help of others.  We need someone with a metaphorical tractor to help us to pull out the things that are deeply rooted in our hearts.

I remember someone praying with me a while ago about some 'dead wood' in my own life and the person I was with said,

The wonderful thing is that someday someone will come and take that dead wood and fashion from it something beautiful.  This won't be wasted.

Uprooting is never the end of the story.  It is simply a new beginning.