My world is more than chaotic right now. The whirlwind move from our home of sixteen years, left me torn from all that was familiar and comforting. Up to this point, any semblance of normal evades me. Yes, it was our choice to sell our place, but who knew how difficult the process would turn out? I often wonder where this new path is leading me. Am I simply uprooted or has God transplanted me here for a reason I can’t comprehend at this moment?
As a gardener, I know an uprooted plant is bare and exposed without soil surrounding its foundations. It lacks nutrients and fluid needed to sustain it. If left in this condition for long, the plant withers and dies.
When an experienced gardener moves a plant, he holds it gently in his hands making sure to leave soil clinging to its roots. Its foundation remains strong while transplanted, not lacking any vital nutrient. The plant is unfamiliar with its location. Yet, with the gardener’s loving care, it acclimates and thrives in its new environment.
Like this second plant, I’m often unaware of God’s provision over my life. Circumstances seem as if they’re foreign or haphazard but chance, luck or karma aren’t to blame. I feel uprooted though in reality, I’m being transplanted by the Master Gardener. God places me in the right place, at the right time, for His purposes. His angels keep watch and protect me, providing nourishment when needed. All I must do is trust.
Herein lies the problem. Trust doesn’t come easily to one who’s used to controlling her environment. That little voice inside my head cries out, “I can take care of myself. Thank you, very much!” Though, when I take a deep breath and relinquish myself to the One who knows me best, a peace covers me like a soft summer rain.
Uprooted or transplanted? It’s all a matter of perspective.
But blessed is the man who trusts me, God, the woman who sticks with God. They’re like trees replanted in Eden, putting down roots near the rivers. Never a worry through the hottest of summers, never dropping a leaf, serene and calm through droughts, bearing fresh fruit every season.
Jeremiah 17:8 Message Bible
