Last spring, the Lord woke me up at 4am, and I felt prompted to peek out the window. There was a storm with lightning and thunder, and sideways rain, and wild, furious wind that was whipping the trees around like a wet bouquet of parsley – the agaves were unmoved, but the crepe myrtles were bending almost to the ground. I heard the Lord point out that I was safe amidst the storm (not even in it), that He woke me to witness His power and might and ability to bring such a shaking, that some plants do not move during the winds and others bend, but do not break…and then I went to sleep after an hour of watching the scene outside.
No one else had woken during the storm, and there was not a single branch or a single blossom out of place the next morning. I shared with Daniel, the director of ADRN, and he told me to pray in the vision that God had allowed me to witness – that I, like the crepe myrtles would be so deeply rooted and flexible so as to bend under the force of the winds but not break, and not a single part of my being would be lost or shaken loose. I was deeply rooted in Him, though I pray that one day I am like the agave, barely shaken at all.
In hindsight, I can see how the Lord spent 2016, planting roots in me…firmly…so they would not be uprooted or damaged. 
Little did I know that I too had been planting, and earlier this year, the Lord and I looked together at my solo garden, the one I had not asked His permission or counsel to plant. Before me were three plants, all in varying states of health. The Lord pointed to the first one and said, “Do you see this one? It looks healthy on the surface, but its roots are rotted out. Do you see this second one? You didn’t need to plant this one at all. Do you see this last one? It’s a good plant, but you have planted it without care and it grows sideways.” He proceeded to pull them all out, rake the dirt, and smiled again. “I will plant a new garden for you, and My garden will provide everything you need.”
Since then, the Lord has held true to His word and has replanted in me what I tried to plant myself…because I wanted it, or thought I needed it, or hurried to set it in place. When we hear the words “spring up a well”, it’s not that we are creating the well ourselves, but rather that we are asking for the Lord to provide what we cannot of our own flesh…lack of power…lack of wisdom.
In my desire to surrender all to my Lord, each “treasure” or “effort” that is sacrificed shoots out another root that has the sole purpose of reaching toward Him, toward the Living Water. My root system comprises of my multiple arms reaching out to Him for my multiple needs and wants.
Lord, You are the Great Provider! Give me the grace to let You tend the garden of my heart and put in place what You know will bless me and prosper me, according to Your plans for me! Strengthen and expand my root system, that I may always reach for You.