Grow Deeper

It’s been birthday season in my family—first my daughter, then her children. We celebrate with smiles, joy, and hopes for the year ahead. And every year, it quietly reminds me that I am older—much older—than they are.

But older has its rewards. Retirement. Senior discounts. Some hard-earned perspective.

And even better? Being older means we have deeper roots.

As JRR Tolkien wrote in The Fellowship of the Ring:

…the old that is strong does not wither,

deep roots are not reached by the frost.”

In a world swaying with wars and conflicts, that image steadies me. The headlines are complicated, with global repercussions. Nations take sides. Leaders threaten. Economies tremble.

But my roots are deeper now and I’m not so easily swayed.

In my early forties, when when Y2K loomed large and uncertainty clouded life, I had my husband dig a bomb shelter. My roots weren't deep enough.

In my twenties, I was certain global leaders would plunge us into a cataclysmic nuclear war. With my shallow roots, I feared for the child I had just brought into what felt like a broken world. The movie The Day After confirmed my worst fears of what an apocalyptic post-nuclear war looked like.

But now? Deep roots.

Not sunk into the shifting soil of this world, but grounded firmly in my faith. Yes, we coexist with some bad actors and even evil tyrants. But they do not ultimately win. God does.

They say it’s good to be grounded.

I would say it’s even better to be rooted.

When hard times come—and they will—grow deeper.

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith, and overflowing with thankfulness.”

Colossians 2:6–7