carter caves and lexington 243

This is one of my favorite places at Carter Caves State Park. I took the kids here the other day!

carter caves and lexington 236 These trees have literally grown up and around and through gigantic rocks!

carter caves and lexington 238

My friend and I looked and looked at this amazing feat of nature and decided that just like this tree, Christians are called to grow even in the rocky times. In these times of difficult growth, we are often required to show much more of ourselves than we’d really like to and in our transparency we become extremely vulnerable to our surroundings. I have felt like these trees so many times over the past few years. No part of my pain has been hidden and it has been so obvious to the world that I am hanging on for dear life to whatever foundation I can find beneath me.

carter caves and lexington 240 Through our example, though, our kids learn that it’s okay to keep on growing even though life is tough.

(I just love this little tree above trying to follow in the “root”steps of the big tree next to it!)

2009-08-270179 carter caves resized

carter caves and lexington 214

I had the boys climb to the top of the rocks and try out a little posing!

They decided to go with the “CD Cover” look!

Lord, help me remember that even though the soil beneath me often seems rocky and painful, You are still there providing the light and water that I need to grow.

Thank you for using nature to encourage me! Thankful that You are the Rock upon which I can expose my roots and upon which I can find my stability.