Putting Down Deep Roots…even in D.C. posted by jwatson on Sep 19, 2012

I have noticed something lately that I hadn’t before. People are always moving! Members of the military are asked to relocate about every 3 years. Representatives, who lose their seat are bidding farewell after only 2 years. The average congressional staffer is, by all accounts, likely to move on after only 3 years.

Interns are constantly rotating on and off the hill every 3 months from all over the world. Even Senators, elected to the longest terms, can only expect six years of stability. And we can’t leave out the president! He serves on 4 year terms. Everything about Washington DC convinces you that this is just a pit stop on your way to the next station in life. So what do we do? We plan for our next stop while neglecting this one. We put down shallow roots. I heard a pastor put it this way…

Shallow roots …

Produce shallow relationships…

Which produce shallow investments…

Which produce shallow returns…

But what if we went “all in”?

As believers we are charged with impacting the lives of others for the Kingdom. To do that, we need to invest deeply in our communities and in the lives of those who surround us. This requires us to put down deep roots. Imagine trying to grow a plant on a thin layer of dirt that sits on top of a sidewalk. The plant might survive, for a time, but it would never flourish.

I can’t tell you how many people I have run into, who came to DC, thinking that their time here would be brief, only to still be living here many years later. Because they lived with a temporary mindset, they limited themselves to living on the perimeter. Their time here never produced strong relationships and never had a strong return. We ultimately seek to share the Gospel with them and change their lives forever.

Go “all in” and put down deep roots, wherever you may be. You wont be sorry you did.