Music Monday: “Roots” by Jamie MacDonald
By: Debbie Waltz
Please forgive me for missing Music Monday these past couple of weeks. As you can probably tell, my heart just hasn’t quite been in it lately. Between searching for answers to my own health issues and watching my mom navigate health challenges of her own, there has been a lot weighing on my mind.
Usually, finding a song for Music Monday is natural. I look for something that relates to my week—a track where the lyrics seem to speak directly to what I’m going through, almost as if it was meant to find me at just the right moment. That is a huge part of what makes this tradition so special to me. But lately, with so much heavy on my heart, finding that connection hasn’t come quite as easily.
When physical and emotional strength gets tested, it is easy to feel untethered. In seasons of uncertainty, everything we rely on—our daily routines, our energy, our sense of control—can feel like it is shifting beneath our feet.
When the ground beneath us shakes, it also serves as a gentle—and sometimes painful—reminder that this place is not our home. It is easy to accidentally invest all our peace in the temporary stability of our health, our routines, and our comfort here on earth.
We see this heavenly perspective anchored in Philippians 3:20 (NIV)
“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body”
When we lift our eyes past the immediate struggles of today, we can find profound peace knowing that our ultimate citizenship and our true home are secure in Him, where sickness, sorrow, and uncertainty can never follow.
We also see this truth echoed in Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
This verse reminds us that our struggles are not always as simple as what we can see on the surface. There is a spiritual dimension to the battles we face. Navigating these trials and enduring this spiritual battle is a vital part of the sanctification process—loosening our grip on earthly securities, shaping our hearts and minds, and molding us to become more like Christ.
We need to remain rooted in God’s truth, trusting Him even when our circumstances leave us with more questions than answers. Keeping God at the absolute center of every area of our lives isn’t just a nice ideal; it is our lifeline. When the trials come—and as Jesus promised in John 16:33, we know they will—we aren’t promised an easy road, but we are promised His peace.