Shared Roots

Greg and I spent the afternoon yesterday enjoying a Christmas gift from my brothers and sister-in-law...two cross-country ski rentals. Some dear (and very sacrificial) friends of our offered to take the kids for a few hours so we could enjoy the gift :) And we did! We were directed to this little known nordic ski area just north of town. The weather was frigid cold and snowy, but once you got inside the woods, it was like a fortress from the wind and snow. I think in the frozen forest during winter even time itself hibernates. The marked trails were narrow with plenty of ups and downs to make you break a sweat and then get the thrill of coasting out-of-control almost into a tree...SO fun!! :) As we were coming around the final bend of the loop, we spotted a tree, make that two trees, no, one tree, no...two trees? It was a siamese tree. Two in one. They shared a common root system, but were two distinct trees as they jutted into the air, each in a different, yet upward direction. Then Greg and I got theological. We do that a lot around here. I love him for that...he's one of the few people in my life who will put up with my wonderings and exterally verbal processings of God and His myserious ways. And he always has such great input and wise answers. Greg keeps me on track (in more ways than one). And, Shawna...back on track...we saw started thinking about the spiritual parallels between this/these tree(s) and marriage. You see, the moment we were joined in covenant relationship on that altar, we began sharing a common root system in God's eyes. When he sees us, he sees one...and he sees two. It's one of those wonderful "both/and" mind-blowing God things that we will never know fully on this earth. I've heard it said that marriage is the best picture we have of the Holy Trinity. The Godhead, three in one. It's so beautiful and so deeply moving that we can reflect and share in that mystery in the sanctity of man and wife together as one. We started talking about how if this is the case, if we truly share common spiritual roots, then how much more should I be ever aware of my own personal walk with Jesus. For this directly affects the growth of my husband. If I am rooted and grounded in Love, then Greg will be blessed by that in a way that I cannot see...for it is in the underground portion of the heart and soul. The place only God waters and causes to grow. If my roots are withering, then Greg will feel it, too. Greg's spiritual growth will help my limbs, branches, leaves to flourish and be beautiful for all to see. Now, hear me well. I am not saying that I am responsible for Greg's journey with the Lord, or his lack there of...Nor is he, mine. We are individually accountable to the Father, no doubt. But there is something deep, something profoundly incomprehensible about the spiritual roots we share as husband and wife. Something only God sees. So what am I to do with this truth? I am to pray, pray, pray for Greg's spiritual growth in Jesus. That his roots would go deep into the Love of the Savior. And that God would continue to water our roots as one, keeping them so intertwined in the soil of His Love that neither wind, nor famine, nor any any other pestilence would ever, could ever sever our tree. And that, if one of us grows weak, we can draw nourishment from the roots of the other. We are one tree, one spiritual being, are we not? And as One, we are to offer shade and rest to the sojourner, shelter to wildlife, seeds for new saplings, beauty to the beholder...we are to be Life-givers...for His namesake. For His glory. Simply because He is, and we are His.