Growing up, my dad was a bi-vocational pastor. We lived in Fort Smith, AR where my dad managed a young men’s clothing store. Every Sunday and Wednesday, we drove 50 miles each way (for nearly 7 years) as a family so my dad could pastor a small congregation in Heavener, OK.
On Sundays, we would stay with one of the congregational families to avoid having to make two back-and-forth trips to Heavener. One of the families we stayed with often was an older couple who had a garden and a hen house in their backyard. It was there that my Dad began to learn about gardening.
While in college, my Dad decided to plant his own garden. In a corner of our backyard, in Russellville AR, my dad tilled the soil and planted some tomatoes, corn, potatoes, and strawberries. It was a definite learning experience, but after a year or two, he got pretty good at basic gardening.
Every spring, dad would drag the tiller out of the shed, turn over the dirt, and prepare his garden for the next year’s planting. One afternoon, after finishing my classes, I came home and thought I would surprise my dad by tilling the garden for him, giving him a head start on that year’s planting.
I started up the tiller, stuck the tines into the ground, and started to turn over the dirt. I’d seen my dad do this many times, so I carefully dug into the soil and passed back and forth over the dirt a few times to really break up the soil and get it ready for the planting to follow.
When my dad came home from work, I met him at the front door and told him I had a surprise for him. I took him into the backyard and showed him his garden, neatly tilled, exposing the rich soil. I told my dad I wanted to do my part to help him get the garden ready for the season, and waited for the big “Thank You” that I knew would follow.
Strangely, my dad didn’t immediately respond.
He stared at the garden quietly for a few moments, and then beckoned me to come closer. Dad knelt down and pointed to several places along one of the rows I had carefully and thoroughly tilled, pointing out what looked like little whiskers poking up out of the ground.
What I didn’t know is that, in Arkansas, strawberries are planted in the fall. Dad had planted his strawberries sometime in late September or early October so the plants could get their roots firmly established before the winter set in to ensure a healthy and productive spring harvest between April and June.
In my exuberance to be a helper, I had destroyed all of my Dad’s hard work from the prior fall and ended any chances that my Mom would be picking strawberries later in the year.
In destroying the root, I destroyed the fruit.
A strong root system is essential to success. Without a strong, established root system, a plant cannot grow to its full potential, much less produce healthy fruit. A strong root system is essential for plants because it provides critical functions like absorbing water and nutrients from the soil. It anchors the plant firmly in place and stores food and energy to help feed and nurture the plant.
Roots ground a plant to the earth, providing stability and strength. By anchoring the plant firmly in the soil, roots prevent the plant from being uprooted by wind or rain. This is especially important for larger plants, like trees, which rely on their root structure for structural support.
Many plants store food and energy reserves in their roots, especially during periods of dormancy or when conditions for growth are not ideal, such as in times of drought. This stored energy can later be used for growth, reproduction, or other essential processes.
Roots serve another important role, improving soil health and structure by creating pathways for air and water to circulate through the soil. Root systems also serve to bind soil particles together, which helps to prevent erosion. Roots also interact with microorganisms within the soil that help the plant access water and nutrients, feeding and supporting the plant.
A plant’s root system serves as its lifeline. It provides the foundation needed for the plant’s growth, survival, and interaction with its surrounding environment.
There is no fruit without the root.
Interestingly, as the plant grows, its leaves provide the root system with shade from the sun and shelter from the rain. In turn, the roots strengthen the trunk (often referred to as the shoot) of the plant, providing the nutrition the plant needs to grow the branches that will later bear fruit.
The fruit is totally reliant on the root for its existence. Fruit grows, it abides, simply drawing sustenance from the shoot, which draws its sustenance from the root.
It’s a symbiotic relationship that leads to success.
Like a plant, we need a strong root system if we want to live fruitful, successful lives.
Fruit is a byproduct of a strong root system, but far too many people pay too much attention to the fruit and not enough attention to the root.
Why is that?
It’s easier to focus on what we can see rather than what we can’t.
Fruit is visible. It’s easy to see, measure, and show to others. Examples of fruit would be our outcomes, results, or behaviors. It’s an observable outcome or the tangible result of a process. What we (and others) can see, hear, or experience emanating from our lives.
That’s why the old adage, “A tree is known by its fruit” still rings true today. A person’s character, their true nature, is revealed by their actions or deeds. This is their fruit.
On the other hand, the root of our lives is often unseen by others, and it is rarely examined by ourselves. We’re talking about our deep-seated beliefs, values, and motivations. While out of sight, these things are what drive the choices we make, the actions we take, the words we speak, and the outcomes we experience.
What we are on the inside is ultimately revealed by the fruit others see on the outside.
Focusing on the root requires introspection. This can be not only challenging, it can be uncomfortable. But, if we want to maximize the quality (not just the quantity) of our fruit, it is a necessary journey within.
Remember, fruit is a byproduct of a strong root system.
Just like a root system grounds plant to the earth, a strong belief system, supported by strong values, grounds our character truth and motivates us to live a life of excellence. This is how we remain anchored, living consistently and persistently, even in the midst of adversity.
Our root system feeds us, giving us what we need to continue to grow. This is why daily, personal growth is so essential to our success. Personal growth provides us with the nutrients we need to daily become a better version of who we are and what we do.
In times of drought, it sustains us. At other times, it helps us to grow, expand, and reproduce by teaching others to do the same. Personal growth is the elixir of success.
A strong root system, which includes healthy relationships, positive beliefs, and strong values, is essential for our well-being and ability to bear good fruit, and lots of it.
By focusing on the root, we increase the quality and quantity of our fruit.
So, what are the benefits of having a strong root system, grounded in personal growth?
First, it provides stability and grounding. It provides stability to withstand the storms of life along with a clear sense of direction. A strong root system helps us develop the habits and behaviors that build resilience, even in times of significant challenges or setbacks.
Secondly, a strong root system provides us with a sense of identity and belonging. We know who we are, why we’re here, what we’ve been called to do, and the people we need to surround ourselves with to accomplish our purpose. This not only boosts our self-confidence, it helps us to build a supportive network of like-minded people who believe in us, are willing to come alongside and help us, and will encourage our continued growth.
Thirdly, personal growth strengthens our persistence and perseverance. It helps us continue to dig our roots deeper, even when the results are not immediately visible, allowing us to grow even larger over time in terms of influence, impact, and results. This is essential if we want to realize our potential and produce positive outcomes.
For many bamboo species, the first few years of its development are spent establishing a strong root system. This establishes the necessary support for the rapid, future growth of the tree. From the outside, little or no growth is visible to the naked eye. Once the root system is fully established, the bamboo begins an accelerated process of springing skyward.
This is a reminder that patience, persistence, and the importance of establishing a strong, deeply grounded root system, is essential for exponential growth in the future.
Og Mandino said it well, “I will persist until I succeed.”
Ask the Wild Fig Tree.
The Wild Fig Tree in South Africa has roots growing as deep as 400 feet below the surface. The deeper the roots, the more long-lived, and more fruitful, the tree.
A strong root system, fueled by personal growth, is crucial for our success. It provides us with stability, anchoring us when we face challenges and setbacks in life. It also provides us with a sense of identity and belonging, boosting our confidence and expanding our network. And, it builds resilience as we patiently persist and persevere, strengthening us in the process so we can bear more and better fruit.
But to have a strong root system, we have to be planted in the right place so we can optimize our opportunity to go deeper, higher, and wider.
In the Parable of the Sower, a man was sent to sow seed for a harvest. Some seed fell on a hard path, where it was quickly eaten by birds. Other seed fell on rocky ground where it sprouted but quickly withered and died because they couldn’t establish a root system.
Still, other seed fell among thorny ground, which impeded and choked out the seeds’ ability to grow. But the rest of the seed fell on good, fertile soil where it took root, grew, and produced an abundant harvest of fruit.
The moral of this story is simple.
Where we plant ourselves matters. Not all soil is conducive for personal growth.
Who we surround ourselves with matters, as they can inhibit or accelerate our growth.
Once we’re planted, we’ve got to focus on the root, not the foot.
Remember, fruit is a byproduct of a strong root system.
Legendary basketball coach, John Wooden, famously said, “There is a choice you have to make in everything you do. So keep in mind that in the end, the choice you make makes you.”
What we become on the inside is what we will become on the outside.
A tree is known by its fruit.
Healthy roots lead to healthy and abundant fruit.
Focus on the root, not the fruit.
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