Root Yourself in Good and Live

 

Happy are they who know good and do good.

Their love for the good feeds them continually.

They are like trees planted near the river,

Whose roots go deep and wide.

They thrive, bear fruit in season,

And weather drought without wilting.

Those who are not so grounded

Will blow around like dry leaves in the wind.

Root yourself in good and live.

 

 

So I created this as a cover photo for my Facebook, but of course the placement isn't right and I couldn't resize it (even though Facebook says you should be able to) so now it's going here :)

 

Ironically, it's so simple to complicate everything. All it takes is a thought to send your mind reeling and spending time where it doesn't belong -- on drama, rumors, jealousy, resentments -- instead of on the wonderful things in front of you. To "know good" is to be surrounded by it, in people, experiences, and things. To "do good" is to contribute to it, being that person, adding to that experience, helping to feed that thing. It can be as simple as giving someone a call you haven't spoken to in a while, just to see how they're doing. It could be as challenging as waking up a few hours earlier on your weekend to go to church and go out of your way to get to know some new people.

 

The idea of this goodness giving a system of roots is comforting. Ground yourself in good and let the good ground you. Regardless of the situation going on around you, if you can continue to "know good," the situation cannot affect you. There is good in everything, even if you have to take time to find it, and once you do, you don't have room for the negative.

 

On the other hand, some people cannot help but to focus on negative -- sad, angry, hurt feelings -- which are also typically self-centered. Having that attitude does not help those around you and certainly does not help yourself! The comparison of dry leaves in the wind is completely spot-on... a dry leaf is completely empty and withered -- unhealthy and without control.

 

I find solace in the fact that I have rooted myself in good, in God, and in living the kind of life that I know I am capable of. What about you? Happy self-discovering and happy days!