When you hear about a winter storm, you typically picture ice, snow, and cold weather. A weird winter storm just wreaked havoc in my community. Here in late December, the weather was an unusual balmy 55 degrees as lightning and thunder ripped through the sky. There was even a tornado warning! Trees and power lines were downed, power outages were reported, traffic was diverted due to logs and debris in the road, and sirens were heard all around. A giant oak lay on its side, with a massive root system protruding above the ground. My jaw dropped at the size of it. It occurred to me that the big, beautiful tree is a goner with its roots ripped out of the ground. The tree is no longer stabilized and nourished by what fed it for so long.

Roots are powerful and necessary things. They are an unseen network responsible for so many aspects of what we see and experience above ground. This concept can be parlayed into life – not just of vegetation, but of humans, families, communities, cultures, businesses, and even countries.

We often think of roots as the past history of a thing, but that is not a complete picture. Roots are also embedded in the current environment. Roots can be healthier, or less so, based on the richness of the soil.

In life, the unsung heroes are the nutrients to the roots – the fertilizer, if you will. The people who are the behind-the-scenes drivers create clean, comfortable spaces to learn, conduct business, convalesce, and rehabilitate. As the roots are fed, they in turn nourish the tree, keeping it healthy and strong so it can provide shade, shelter, aesthetic beauty, and oxygen for living things.

The nutrients of public and private sectors are varied: maintenance crews maintain the air, heat, and plumbing, as well as keeping the lights and detectors on and functioning. They play an incredibly key role in supporting the roots of their respective systems, yet they are rarely seen by those they serve. Attention and effort are necessary to remove trash, mop floors, clean up messes, and keep environments comfortable so that there isn’t a buildup of things that would contaminate or interfere with growth. The unsung heroes responsible for those tasks are not given many accolades, but it is noticed when no one is there to do the job. When the fertilizer is gone, the leaves’ color fades, the stems droop, flowers fall off.

Additional quiet champions are those who begin their day in the wee hours of the morning to safely transport people where they need to go. Others prepare for mass food service in educational settings, medical facilities, and even correctional institutions. Some of these steadfast contributors, despite the enormity of their job, enrich not only the masses but they take the time to meet specific needs and requests.

The unseen, life-sustaining force of fertilizer gives us a snapshot of our Savior. Often unnoticed, even by those who love Him dearly, He provides for us, loves us, boosts us up, protects us, and never leaves us to handle things on our own. God is present with all of His children, yet He is able to be lovingly personal and intentional with each one. Our Lord created us, so He knows exactly what we need to help us grow and flourish.

“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.” Psalm 139: 1-6

As we reflect on the brilliant blooms, the steady green, and the withered vines of this past year, do not forget to be thankful for the unsung heroes who enrich our lives, giving us what we need to do and be our best. And let us be particularly grateful for our Savior, who came to give us abundant life, and is preparing a place for us to live forever, where there is no more of the withered and dead, but only the bright and brilliant.

May you have an incredible awareness of His presence and love for you, His precious creation, as you step into 2025!

“Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39