Roots

This time every year I get concerned with my roots. Family. Not hair.

I get concerned about my lack of "roots".  Our gypsy lifestyle always gets the best of me from Thanksgiving until the New Year.  First a military lifestyle for 10 years of uprooting our life every 3 years.  Now a ministry lifestyle of having to "work" Christmas.  We've been in church ministry now for about 9 years and getting off for Christmas is almost impossible.  Christmas Eve is the biggest night of service, so asking off to "go home" for the holidays is never an easy task.  Don't get me wrong...I'm not complaining.  I just get concerned about my roots when it's so blatant in my face. I'm human, no where near perfect!

As I was belaboring some root issues around Thanksgiving, even after spending time with my family in Arkansas, God shed some light on things for me.  He always does that when I bring my belabored issues to Him.  Seek and you WILL find.  He brought home for me His words in Colossians 2:7,

"Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness." or Ephesians 3:17, 

"Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong."

My root-ed-ness is not in where my earthly family all gathers with or without me in attendance.  My roots are where God is.  And when I'm walking in obedience to God wherever He's placed me for such a time as this...that's where my roots are.  They grow deep, but they can also be easily uprooted by the Master Gardener and re-rooted wherever He sees fit to plant me.  My family is not just blood relatives, but also the church family that God has given me for the exact moment they are needed in my life.  Or even, at the exact moment I'm needed in their lives.  God's family works both ways. 

I am proud to be a Caudle by birth, a Corsar by marriage, and a child of God by His mercy and grace.  He chose me before the foundation of the earth was lain.  And I await the days the skies are rolled back as a scroll and we see all our Father face to face.  Believers in Christ all have the same roots.  We just live physically in different locations.  I love that my family is literally all over the world.  My Christmas cards reminded me of that this year. 

#notofthisworld #gypsymomma