Rooted and Grounded ~ Valerie Ronald

 

Snug in my house during a fierce west coast storm, I listened to the howl of gale force winds and watched torrential rain lashing the windows. The grove of tall fir trees near my house bore the brunt of the storm, branches whipping and trunks swaying, the occasional limb breaking with a sharp crack then dropping to the ground. If one of those huge trees should be uprooted and fall on my house, it would cause much damage. But that was a remote possibility because I had walked around the base of the trees often and knew they were firmly rooted and grounded in the soil. It would take more than a big storm to topple those well-established trees.

As I seek God’s personal invitation to me for 2022, concerning direction for my spiritual and writing life, the phrase “rooted and grounded” keeps coming to the forefront of my mind, accompanied by the picture of those stalwart fir trees standing firm through a storm.

The apostle Paul’s prayer for the believers in Ephesus passionately expresses his desire for them to be rooted and grounded in love.  "...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. ” (Eph.3:17-19 ESV) 

The word know jumps off the page when I read this verse.

To be rooted and grounded solidly in God’s love and all that it encompasses, I need to know Him intimately. I need to search Him out, the way tree roots search for nutrients in the soil. The deeper I grow into the soil of His love, the stronger I can stand when storms hit. The more firmly I am rooted and grounded in God’s character and who I am in Him, the more I will flourish and bear fruit.

So how do I do it? How do I send roots down where my spirit can be nurtured and strengthened? How does doing so influence my writing? The growth of a tree is a result of what goes on beneath the soil. In my spiritual growth Jesus Christ Himself is the soil, rich with nourishment and strength found in His Word. The more I absorb His truths and teachings, the more I will grow. 

 

 “Your spiritual roots go deeply into His life as you are continually infused with strength, encouraged in every way. For you are established in the faith you have absorbed and enriched by your devotion to him!” (Col. 2:7 Passion Translation)

Lately one of the ways I am reading my bible is as a storybook, from beginning to end, as much or as little as I want, getting a sense of the overarching story line, characters, settings and plot. This new and refreshing view opens up insights I’ve missed before. I still practice more traditional study as well, however I find my mind returning often to the exciting drama of God’s story as a narrative. Discovering new ways of taking in the nourishment of God’s Word keeps my spiritual growth fresh, revealing different facets of God’s love and character. Reading scripture this way is also sparking inspiration for writing.

Did you know that the visible roots which grow from the base of a tree trunk are called heart roots? They are primary roots which grow multiple secondary roots in search of water and nutrients. Heart roots in my life with God could be defined as spiritual disciplines. A consistent devotional and prayer time, in-depth study of the scriptures in a group or individually, belonging to a church family that is bible-based, worship-focused and servant-hearted˗˗these disciplines provide food for spiritual growth.

Most healthy trees produce some type of fruit, berries, nuts, or seeds. I see my writing as a fruit originating from my spiritual life. When my spirit is dry and I’m not actively sending down roots seeking out spiritual nourishment, my writing life suffers a drought as well. They are intrinsically linked. My intimacy with God determines the impact of my writing life.

This year God is inviting me to become more deeply rooted and grounded in His love, to know this love that surpasses knowledge. If I can grow like a strong, healthy tree, I will bear fruit to help nurture those whose roots are shallow and whose spirits need nourishment.

“Love is the soil in which our life must have its roots; and it is the rock upon which our faith must ever rest.” ~ W. Graham Scroggie 

 

More of Valerie's work can be read on her blog:

https://scriptordeus.wordpress.com/

 

A Drop of Love ~ Valerie Ronald

 

If I were relating the defining moments in my writing life, they would begin with the story about the gypsy girl I wrote in grade five, when I discovered I could imagine worlds into being. Then on to times in a high school creative writing class where my words took wing, encouraged by affirmations from my teacher and classmates. College journalism courses, a job as a rookie newspaper reporter, first published magazine article ˗˗ all were significant in my writing career. As important as these moments were, their significance pales in light of the impact of God on my creative journey.

It would take too long to narrate the tale of how God drew me to Himself. Through many starts and stops, wanderings and returnings, He continually pursued me with His love until I surrendered completely to Him. Where else could I go? My own desires and decisions had landed me in an emotionally abusive marriage with no way out that I could see. There at rock bottom, God met me. My circumstances were the same but my heart was changed, renewed by the Lord who made me.

One brief moment stands out above all others. If I ever held doubts about God’s singular eye upon me, His omniscient attention to every detail about me, this moment wiped them all away. Admitted to the hospital for some minor surgery, I remember actually anticipating a few days of escape from my emotionally stressful life. Exhausted by a roller coaster marriage to a volatile, spiritually abusive man, doing my best to mother three young children and dealing with fatiguing health issues, I longed for rest. A hospital stay was hardly the ideal vacation, but the prospect of a few days in bed offered a welcome respite. I remember breathing a hasty prayer before the anesthetic took affect.  

Then I awoke with an overwhelming knowingness of God’s love for me.  

That sounds so simple, such a given, but it does not come close to capturing the all-encompassing intensity of how loved by God I knew myself to be in that moment. I did not want to return to full consciousness, to leave what I knew even then was a foretaste of heaven.

A nurse tried to rouse me, but I fought to remain in that place of complete love deep within where my soul resided with God. Of course, I couldn’t stay. The real world of bright light, noise and pain could not be avoided. I opened my eyes and responded to the nurse, but my spirit continued to dance on the verge of its natural home, trailing glorious love like streamers floating to the earth.

I am not one to pursue signs, wonders and visions. My belief in Jesus Christ is based on the rock-solid truth of His Word. I recognize I am made up of body, soul and spirit and capable of a myriad of emotions, as designed by my Creator, but emotions do not rule my spiritual life. Neither do I seek out artificially induced emotional experiences, as could be credited to the anesthetic drugs. But since that soul-deep epiphany, I now know what God’s love feels like. He gave me those few moments as a glimpse of what is to come, I am sure of it. A crack appeared in the floor of heaven to seep out a minuscule drop of His great love for me. I could not have handled any more than that, but He knew at that particularly difficult time, a drop of His love would carry me through. In fact, it has lasted throughout my life, impacting my faith, relationships and hope for the future in a deep and lasting way.

“By constantly using your faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, and the resting place of His love will become the very source and root of your life. Then you will be empowered to discover what every holy one experiences—the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions. How deeply intimate and far-reaching is His love! How enduring and inclusive it is! Endless love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding—this extravagant love pours into you until you are filled to overflowing with the fullness of God!” (Eph. 3:17-19 Passion Translation)  

When the white-gowned bride I used to be was trampled in the mud by the man I married, that singular drop of God’s love redefined me as cherished beyond value. Like a never failing cruse of oil, God’s drop of love sustained me through raising my children alone, facing poverty and fighting cancer. My painful past is long behind me now yet the impact of that love-soaked moment continues to influence how I live and write.

Knowing His love for me is replicated many million times over for all those He has fashioned, stimulates me to be a conduit for this miraculous drop of love. I cannot love well on my own. Only the indwelling Spirit of God, through Christ, can disperse this love like a drop of ink in water, to saturate all who encounter it. In God’s economy, a mere drop of His love goes a long way. 

Valerie Ronald lives in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. She is a graduate of Vancouver's Langara College journalism program, and has worked as a newspaper reporter, freelance writer, public speaker and bookstore employee. She writes devotionals for her home church bulletins and her online blog. Her current book project chronicles how God's faithfulness saw her through the dark valleys of divorce and cancer. Along with her husband, Valerie enjoys spending time with their blended family and six grandchildren. She is a nature photographer, water colorist, cat lover and Scrabble addict.

More of her devotionals can be read on her blog https://scriptordeus.wordpress.com