Prologue.

Trees are one of my most favorite things in this world. That is, besides my cat Eleanor and the sole wooden bead in my dreads. I just love the representation of life in them. I love that the roots are mostly ugly, messy, and dirty, while the bark speaks. I mean I almost always carve something in. I actually never do that. But I wouldn't have to, anyways. And I wouldn't have to because the crooks of those things say it all. And then there's the branches and leaves...and friends, those say nothing but growth to me. Just aching to breathe and stand up straight and stand the weather. Whether or not they have seen the harvest of a good life or expirienced seasons of destruction, they're still firm. 

Back to those roots, though. They say everything...they tell it all. Because this tree started off as ugly, messy, and dirty. But don't you remember? So did we.

Sometimes I'm frustrated, though. I'm frustrated because I'm forgetful and I lose memory on the hard stuff turning happy. Because the hard stuff usually always does. The scars never eradicate fully because those are God's reminders, but we forget. We forget that we're stubborn. 

But I know I should turn my frustration into hope for real restoration, because it came. God just knew I was stubborn, you see, He knew it was going to take more for me to actually see, until I'd answer His call to, "Come and follow Me." Because God knows my heart. God hurts for my heart. And all of those roots, though they're going every which way...God grew them. God made them make sense. 

Here are my roots, and somewhere there are yours. 

The Roots in the Redeemed.