Are my roots showing?!

During my recent trip to Japan, I was overjoyed to catch up on all my eating!  In fact, I think I gained at least 5 pounds in 12 days!  That's pretty hard when you consider that Japanese food is some of the healthiest on the planet....I must have eaten my weight in sushi!  The Japanese have quite a lot of food items in the market that we don't see very often here in the U.S.  Daikon is one.  It's a very large type of radish that can be as long as two feet with a diameter of six inches.  That would be a large one, but I have seen them that size.  On this trip, I saw them growing in a local garden for the first time.  They are almost comical.  They stick right up out of the ground, making their presence known.  The taste is very unique.  Daikon is eaten in a variety of ways. 

If you are familiar with Tempura, you probably know that you put a mound of grated white stuff into the sauce where you will dip your fried seafood and veggies.  This stuff is daikon.  It aids in digestion.  Daikon is also eaten stewed, as a veggie in soups and as bright yellow pickles called "takuan".  I must admit that it took me some time to get used to the flavor.  It has a very earthy taste - not unlike a parsnip.  This earthy taste seems to take on a bit of kerosene-like essence when made into pickles.  It's not the tastiest thing I've ever had, but it is very, very healthy. 

Other roots that are eaten in Japan include the burdock root and the lotus root.  The burdock root looks like a very, very long parsnip.  It can be three feet long, but it remains quite skinny.  The lotus root is very pretty.  When sliced open, it has a beautiful flower shape that makes it very appealing in various dishes.  Roots and tuber veggies make up a good portion of our food if you think about it....carrots, potatoes, parsnips, yucca, radishes, jicama.  Usually, we don't eat the greens that surface.  We stick to the roots of these plants, but the greens are very often impressive.  What we can see above the ground is often huge in comparison to the goods beneath.

Hebrews 12:15 says, "See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." I have given much thought to this topic lately.  I have been praying with different people through the years who have had on-going troubles.  It seems like they are doing all the right things.  It seems like they are walking in ways that would keep them far from reproach, yet they are struggling with many difficulties.  The Lord has been revealing, through His infinite grace, that there are very often bitter roots that lie deep beneath the surface in our lives.  These roots are far from the view of others, as roots usually are, but their shoots tend to grow tall and wide.  Sometimes when the fruit of our lives is yielding unpleasant results, we need to ask the Lord to examine what lies beneath.  There may be the tiniest root of unforgiveness in our hearts that can grow a mighty tree of difficulty.  There may be some residual bitterness that must be removed before the wild and untame weeds of our heart can be replaced with the beauty of God's presence. 

If you find that there is a place in your life that is inexplicably difficult, ask God to reveal to you what roots lie there.  You may be surprised to find that a simple apology or forgiveness can remove so much hardship.  God is more than able to get us past the hard places.  We usually think that roots are hidden, but they have such strong growth attached that they announce their presence with certainty.  I know that it is so tough to forgive someone who has not even asked for forgiveness.  But we can do all things through Christ!  God's perfect plan is that we all walk in health and wholeness.  So much of our wholeness involves removing roots of bitterness that want to lodge in the cracks of our broken hearts. 

When it comes to a diet, roots have healthy, if not medicinal, purposes in our bodies.  When it comes to our spiritual lives, though, all roots should be pulled out except for the roots planted by the love of God.  Talk to God about the roots that remain in your heart, and ask Him what should go.  He is so gracious and will show you what should be removed.