In the past, whenever someone would introduce the ROOTED experience and they would encourage people to sign up, my heart was interested but my mind would come up with challenges. I have a young child.  Work is busy.  How am I going to get it to accommodate both my schedule and my husband’s schedule? 

I also wondered if I even needed to go through a program like ROOTED.  After all, I’ve been a Christian for most of my life and — though I am far from a Bible scholar — I feel like I have a decent comprehension of God’s Word and its application in my life. 

Basically, I usually talked myself out of participating.

Then the last time Browncroft put an invitation out to join a ROOTED group, I had an undeniable feeling that said, “Try it.” Of course, my mind went back to the challenges.  My young child had just started school and was routinely sick, so who knows how much I’d be able to participate.  Still my heart said, “Try it.”

Work was busier than ever.

“Try it.” 

Schedules were such a mess that we couldn’t even schedule a monthly get-together with our extended family who all live within 10 minutes.  How was I going to squish something else in? 

“Try it.” 

The Lord was clearly urging me to get involved. So I signed up. And I am so glad that I did.

The group of people that I was set up with were complete strangers to me — all in different stages of their lives and all with different circumstances.  But throughout the 10 weeks of ROOTED, the Lord used these people to soften my heart and remind me how much fellowship and community were needed in my life. 

Instead of thinking of ROOTED as a meeting that I had to attend, I looked forward to getting together with my group.  I began praying for them throughout the week, and I knew they were praying for me.  That gave me great comfort and strength to continue to handle the other challenges that life was throwing at me. And when we completed the ROOTED experience, we decided to continue to meet as a small group.  The Lord wasn’t done using us in each other’s lives.

So ROOTED was a blessing, and it all started when God reminded me that He wanted more from me.  Yes, I could just continue to show up to church and read the Bible and do some other things that were enhancing my relationship with the Lord. But why stop there when I could have more? 

In the book of Kings, God uses a still small voice to remind Elijah that many times the way He works and moves and speaks is NOT in dramatic fashion.  Why not listen to that same still small voice that will direct me to what is best in my life? 

It took me listening and obeying.  I challenge you to quiet your mind and listen to God’s still small voice.  See what HE would have for you. 

Try it.