Dig Deep

Have you ever been in the midst of a severe storm?

If so, you know that a storm of great magnitude comes with very strong winds causing, in many cases, great destruction. The other day, there was a storm that caused some damage to our property. The winds were so strong that the palm tree in front of our house was uprooted and landed on our front lawn. The backyard fence was also on the grass and several smaller trees were on the ground as well. The day after the storm I asked the gardener that takes care of the houses in the area why my neighbor’s palm tree remained standing and mine did not.  His answer was simple, “Whoever planted your palm tree did not dig deep enough and it was planted very superficially.”

Then I asked about my fence. If all the houses in the area were built at the same time why was my fence the only one that came down?  He said, “Because you have not done much underground maintenance on your fence. Every year you should reinforce the fence-posts to make sure they are solid. In some cases you need to dig deeper and reposition the post to add stability to the fence. Some people see only the outward appearance of the fence and because it looks sturdy and in great shape, they forget that it is not only the section above ground that we need to take care of but also the area that is underground”. 

As I think back on that unfortunate and unnecessary expense, I can’t help but think how truthful that is in our lives. Jesus once said, “As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built”. Luke 6:47-48

This past summer, all of us at Camp Wawona spent time learning and sharing what it means to dig deep and set solid foundations to overcome any disturbing winds that may come into our lives. This journey has been a blessing and we encourage you to partner with us as we continue to dig deeper into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

In Christ’s service,
Pastor Elden