Hello Reader,

Time to Check Your Roots

A hurricane stripped limbs and leaves from trees in my neighborhood a couple years ago.

Pines toppled, and my neighbor’s maple trunk snapped in two.

Yet the sabal palm remained unfazed, unbroken, and swaying in winds that shattered everything around it.

Its secret lay beneath the surface, where its roots had spent years growing deep into the soil.

A New Year Invitation

A new year offers us a chance to pause and assess our lives. We set goals, make resolutions, and plan our year ahead.

But how often do we examine what's happening beneath the surface of our spiritual lives?

This is the perfect time to ask, “Are my roots growing deeper, or have I been surviving only on surface level moisture?”

The Depth of Our Roots

These resilient palms don't start out strong.

Nurseries harvest them from swamps, strip away their fronds, and leave the bare trunks in piles without water or soil.

When they are finally planted, some flourish with vibrant green fronds, while others slowly brown and wither.

Why does one thrive while another dies?

The difference? Root growth.

The dying palms never establish their root systems deep enough to access water and nutrients beneath the surface.

They survive on whatever moisture touches the topsoil. But when dry seasons come, they have no reserves to draw from.

Surviving vs. Thriving

Many of us live like those struggling palms.

We are surviving but not thriving.

✔️We believe, but we might not have developed a deep enough root system to thrive.

Like those palms with browning fronds, we may show signs of spiritual malnourishment.

We may attend church and say the right words, but we lack the deep connection to God's provision that comes only through roots that reach far below the surface.

We survive on whatever spiritual moisture reaches us, like 45-second reels, emotional highs, the faith of others.

But we have no deep reserves to draw from when troubling storms hit.

• Shallow roots produce doubt when trials come,
• offense that surfaces easily,
• dependence on others' faith rather than our own,
• and vulnerability to worldly pressures that sway us more than God's truth.

The difference between spiritual life and death often comes down to how deeply we allow our roots to grow into the rich soil of our relationship with God.

What Feeds Deep Roots?

Notice the progression here: rooted, built up, established.

This doesn't happen overnight. It requires multiple nutrients working together in the soil of our relationship with Christ.

• Prayer sends roots deeper as we learn to communicate with God, not just in crisis but in constant conversation throughout our days.
• Bible study provides the water and nutrients our souls need, revealing God's character and His promises that anchor us when circumstances shift.
• Growing in love that involves receiving God's love and extending it to others. Love strengthens our connection to the Vine, ensuring we don't become isolated, brittle branches.
• Developing faith and trust through small steps of obedience that prepare us for greater victories ahead.
• Overflowing with gratitude keeps us anchored in God's proven faithfulness, reminding us that the One who provided yesterday will be faithful tomorrow.

An established palm can withstand hurricane-force winds because its roots grow deep and its trunk stays flexible to bend without breaking.

When our faith is deeply rooted through these spiritual practices, we become resilient and flexible in the face of life's storms.

Building Your Faith Memory

Each act of remembering God's faithfulness creates a bank account of God's proven faithfulness.

When we remember, we deposit evidence into what we might call our "faith memory bank."

So that when future storms arise, we can make withdrawals from this account.

The believer with shallow roots suffers from spiritual amnesia and forgets how God moved in the past.

But those with deep roots remember.

When David faced Goliath, he recalled specific instances of God's faithfulness:

David's practice of remembering had created a catalog of God's faithfulness.

His memories transformed past mercies into present courage.

• When we are truly thankful that God provided groceries this week, it gives us confidence to trust Him to provide again next week.
• When we study His Word and discover His character, we believe He will remain consistent with who He has always been.
• When we pray and experience His presence, we know He hasn't abandoned us in silence.

Every spiritual discipline builds upon the last, strengthening our faith and creating a firm foundation of trust.

Each experience of God's faithfulness, remembered, strengthens and extends our roots, sending them deeper into the earth to make us unshakable even in life's storms.

Your New Year Assessment

As we begin this year, take an honest look beneath the surface of your spiritual life:

• Which spiritual practices have you been neglecting?
• Where have you been surviving on surface instead of drawing from the deep wells of God's presence?

Even those transplanted sabal palms that look lifeless can establish deep roots and flourish.

But it requires intention.

If your faith feels weak right now, don't give up! You are being rooted and established. You are growing.

Small, consistent steps send roots deeper.

As your roots grow deeper through prayer, study, love, trust, and gratitude, so does your faith.

You can stand strong like deeply rooted sabal palms through every season of life, even the fiercest storms.

Action Steps

• What is one spiritual practice you'll commit to this month to deepen your roots?
• Write it down. Share it with a trusted friend.
• You're building something that will sustain you for years to come.

May God bless your continued spiritual growth in knowing Him more dearly this year! Thanks for reading!

With love,

Cynthia Johnson

P.S. After writing this email this morning, I realized I sent an email several months back using the same illustration. I apologize if it feels redundant. It is different, and this is what was on my heart after praying this morning. Ha. 😊

BTW: The palm illustration is also in my book, When Thank You Isn’t Enough.

P.P.S. I have a new fiction novel about to come out, so I am deep into the process of editing. I'll send a separate email to explain in a week or so.