I live on the dry side of Washington.
Our summers are hot, our skies are wide open, and by late summer the plants have been through a lot.
The heat pulls moisture from the soil, and the wind dries it out even faster. Plants depend on the water we give them, but they also have to withstand long stretches of sun and wind gusts that can bend stems, move leaves and dry the soil around their roots.
Leaves show the stress of the season, and you start to see which plants are handling the conditions well and which ones are struggling.
It is easy to focus on what we can see above the ground.
But this time of year, I find myself thinking more about what is happening underneath it.
The roots.
Roots are a plant’s life support.
They anchor the plant, take up water and nutrients, and reach farther into the soil as the surface dries out. As they grow, they create pathways through the soil and support all kinds of life below ground.
And roots do something else that matters here: they help us make better use of the water we have.
A healthy root system gives a plant access to moisture deeper in the soil. Living roots also help build soil structure, and over time, roots that die and decompose add organic matter and leave channels behind where water can move into the ground.
So while we tend to notice what is growing above the surface, a great deal of the work that helps a plant survive our summer heat is happening underneath it.
Quietly.
Out of sight.
Thinking about the importance of roots led me to what the Bible says about being rooted.
Colossians 2:6–7 says:
“Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him…”
That image feels especially meaningful to me.
A plant’s roots are where it draws what it needs:
Water.
Nutrients.
Stability.
Life.
What we see above the surface depends on what is happening below it.
The same is true for us.
Being rooted in Christ does not mean difficult conditions will never come.
It means we have a source to draw from when they do.
That is what I keep coming back to when I think about roots.
They are doing their most important work where we cannot see them.
A healthy plant is not just the result of what is happening above the soil. Its strength comes from the system beneath it, continually supplying what it needs.
That is also why I have become more intentional about keeping living roots in my garden soil whenever I can.
Roots help hold soil together, create pathways for water and feed the life below the surface. Even after a plant is finished, those roots leave something behind.
What happens below ground today helps prepare the soil for what will grow there next.
And maybe that is the part I appreciate most.
Strong roots do not eliminate the heat.
They help us endure it.
Farm Wisdom
Strong roots do more than hold us in place. They connect us to what sustains us.
What grows above the surface depends on what is happening below it.
Healthy roots help plants endure heat and dry conditions.
And when we are rooted in Christ, we have a source of strength to draw from too.