HELEN SANDERS
4-17-2026
LIFE IN THE ROOT

Recently we had a deep freeze in Florida that affected the fruit industry. Also, many people lost trees and vegetation in their yard, including trees, bushes, and flowers.

I grew an avocado pit from a seed, and we planted it in our yard. It grew and became a small tree about four feet tall. When we knew freezing weather was coming earlier this winter, we covered it with sheets to protect it. Yet, it wasn’t enough. The deep freeze caused the leaves to wither, and they turned brown and brittle.

I was told by several people that the tree was dead, so I decided to dig up the tree and plant a new tree. When I proceeded to do this, with shovel in hand, I noticed that around the base of the little tree were some new shoots growing. Needless to say, I was excited that it wasn’t “dead.” The top branches were dead and brittle, giving no sign of life, but when I cut the tree down to about twelve inches, there was green in it, showing that there was life in the trunk. My little avocado tree had survived the deep freeze.

Knowing that God had spared that tree, I knew there was still work to do to keep it healthy. I dug up the grass and weeds that had grown around the tree and fertilized it. Now it will have a chance to grow again.

We often look at a person and determine their life by the fruit that they are bearing, which isn’t always good. We make the assumption that they aren’t Christians. Yet, if that person ever received Jesus as their Savior, they were born again of incorruptible seed. (1 Peter 1:23) There is life in the root.

Yes, they may need some cutting back, or cutting away of things that are keeping them from producing godly fruit, but through prayer, patience, and faith we can see things change. With the cutting back comes new life.

Jesus spoke about this when he talked about abiding in the vine. John 15:2 says, “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”

He is the main branch, and we are attached to him, but the branches in our lives that aren’t producing fruit must be cut away for new life to come in us. Those things will “suck the life” out of you if you don’t let God cut them away.

Are there some areas in your life that need “cutting back?” Do not be discouraged when the pruning process takes place. Be glad God loves us enough to prune us because there is still life in the root. Give God time to grow it!