Storms Make Trees Take Deeper Roots
After the storm passed, we walked outside to check for damage. A fifty-foot ash tree lay on the ground, almost completely uprooted. What happened here?
“And I thought storms made trees take deeper roots.” I joked, recalling the popular idiom.
Storms can indeed make trees stronger when the right conditions are in place. Healthy soil and consistent wind patterns are necessary.
Most of a tree’s roots grow in in the upper 18 – 24” inches of soil where oxygen and water are readily available. Poorly drained and tightly compacted soil leads to surface roots. Additionally, long periods of rain can clog the pores in the soil, blocking adequate oxygen. Heavy rain smothers roots and causes them to rot. Shallow or diseased roots lack stability.
When trees sway in the wind, they develop extra muscle to withstand directional forces. If wind conditions are consistent, trees initiate changes in their development to compensate for this external loading.
Trees are created to withstand typical weather events. But extreme forces of wind or heavy ice and snow can overpower trees, no matter how strong and stable they are.
Some trees grow special tap roots, which extend much deeper into the ground. Trees watered regularly with an irrigation system don’t develop tap roots. But trees in the forest grow them to acquire the water needed to survive. Water is absorbed deep into the earth during and after storms.
A Metaphor for Our Lives
Storms Make Trees Take Deeper Roots is often used as a metaphor for our lives. Life’s storms can make us stronger, emotionally and spiritually. When we come through them, still standing, we’re often better than we were before. Let your storms of life bring you closer to God.
As with trees which grow stronger in a storm, certain conditions must be in place for this to happen for us:
Love
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28 NIV)
God takes all the disappointments and heartache in our life and works them together for our good. Loving God means we follow Him as He has called us to do. God is love.
Trust
Trust in God and flourish as a tree! (Proverbs 11:28b TLB)
Sometimes life topples us. But no matter how big our storm, God will rescue us. He will not leave us plopped on the ground like my felled tree.
Faith
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. (Colossians 2:7 NLT)
Christians grow deep tap roots when we are firmly planted in God. Deep enough to survive dry deserts and dire circumstances.
Hope
Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. (Romans 12:12 NLT)
We can have confident hope that God will show up in our storms. He uses them to help us grow deeper roots, shape us into a better version of ourself, and make us stronger. Let us be patient and devoted to prayer.
What do you need to trust God with today? What other characteristics have personal storms helped you develop?
Praying you will weather all your storms.
Candyce
Christians grow deep tap roots when we are firmly planted in God. Deep enough to survive dry deserts and dire circumstances. #storms #faith Share on X
“Life’s storms can make us stronger, emotionally and spiritually.” I often wonder how I would have made it through some of those storms if I hadn’t had a relationship with the Lord. Knowing Him gives me strength and peace in times of struggle. I am grateful! Thank you, Candyce!
A relationship with God certainly helps us weather life’s storms.
When I had only a surface relationship with Him, God used storms to draw me into a deeper relationship with Him. For that I am thankful.
Beautiful post. I needed to be reminded of these scriptures. When your in the midst of the struggle (like I am now) it can get hard to keep your focus where it needs to be. So thank you.
Jennifer,
It is hard, if not impossible, to keep our eyes on God when we struggle. But just knowing He’s there and will never leave us helps us get through them. Sunny days will come again. Praying for you in your struggle!
I enjoyed your words of hope and encouragement Candyce. At my daughter’s house, they had a massive tree fall recently all because of the shallow root system. Your message and the felled tree reminded me of the importance of deep roots of faith.
We are much more likely up fall too when our roots aren’t set deep in Christ. I love how God teaches us through Creation.
Thank you Candyce for the analogy and pictures it offers. As one who has been in literal and life storms I relate. Even when physical roots are exposed they are difficult to remove – and are firmly in the ground, as it should be for us rooted in Christ. Our roots in Him should go deep but also be exposed for others to see His presence in our lives.
You make an excellent point, Marilyn! In fact, the tree I had cleaned up was situated in just that way. Exposed and broken roots on the surface but still so firmly embedded in the soil that the tree company couldn’t remove them all.
Thank you!
“When we come through [storms], still standing, we’re often better than we were before.” A challenging truth, Candyce. Thank you.
Hi Diana,
Thanks for dropping by today. Storms aren’t fun when we’re going through them, but they can help us grow in unexpected ways.
Candyce, thank you for the tree visual to remind us our love and trust are rooted in Christ. I especially appreciate this section: “We can have confident hope that God will show up in our storms. He uses them to help us grow deeper roots, shape us into a better version of ourself, and make us stronger. Let us be patient and devoted to prayer.”
Thank you Jeannie. Nobody likes to be in the middle of a storm but much growth can occur because of them.
Hope you’re doing well!
Enjoyed the article. You always do a great job with the application to life. Thanks.
Thanks for stopping by Jimmie, and for the kind words.
Candyce, thank you for this metephor for life application. I’d be uprooted without my Savior’s grounding grip especially with recent storms.
I’ve been thinking about you, Lisa! I know you’re in the middle of a life storm. Caretaking is most difficult but I’m sure you’re finding the rewards too.
Blessings to you!
Thank you, Candace, these are such great things for us to remember. We all know the storms will come, it’s a matter of what we’ve done beforehand to prepare for the battle. And I love the analogy of storms helping our spiritual muscles reknit and become stronger. I’ll try to remember that next time!
Thanks, Leigh. Yeah, it’s counterintuitive that storms strengthen us rather than weaken us – but when we walk with Jesus it’s exactly what they do. May we continue to weather our storms well!
Great spiritual lessons from tree roots! I didn’t know our watering of trees in our yards can prevent the growth of tap roots. Here in dry Colorado, trees sure need those tap roots!
Maybe trees get complacent with a steady flow of water.
What a beautiful state you live in! Trees aplenty.
I love this post, Candyce! We can learn so much from His creation. God has used many trials to teach me to trust Him. I wouldn’t trade them for anything.
I agree, Annie. I didn’t like the trials when I was going through them, but now I appreciate them because of how God used them to draw me closer.
Be well!
We had 5 trees in our yard cut down today because of disease. Your analogy is so true as we are like trees in that our roots need to be deeply embedded in Christ. We can know that the winds of destruction won’t topple us when we hold on to Him. We do grow stronger with each victory.
That must have been expensive! I love my trees, but they sure can become a nuisance. Then on the other hand, they serve a wonderful purpose in our lives and ecosystems.
I love that nature teaches us such powerful messages. When we are rooted in Christ, we can withstand the storms of life. And when we falter in the midst of a horrific storm, He is there, going through the storm with us. Thank you for this inspiring and uplifting message, Candyce.
Thanks, Katherine. I like how you put that: “He is there, going through the storm with us.” If we can remember that, what do we have to fear?
Thanks for adding to the discussion.
Amen! It is in our struggles of faith that we find our greatest strength. I remember in anatomy (at least I think it was anatomy) in high school when Mrs. Adele Addison helped us to understand that it is when we stress our muscles to the point that the fibers are torn apart by chemicals that saturate them that when they knit back together they grow larger and stronger. I’ve long considered how that lesson applies to my faith. Great post ma’am. Thank you!
Yes, that’s why our muscles get sore when we work out! I learned that too, The storms of life leave us tender and raw in our spiritual muscles but after we heal, we are stronger than ever if we’re firmly planted in the soil of Jesus.
Thanks for adding your input, J.D.