Roots

“Fishlake National Park in Utah, has the largest known underground root system belonging to Pando, a massive quaking Aspen clonal colony in Utah that spans 106 acres and weighs roughly 6,000 metric tons.

Also known as the "Trembling Giant," this single living organism connects roughly 47,000 individual above-ground trees (stems) through one continuous, ancient subterranean root network.” Quoted by Wikipedia and AI Review

“The largest known single honey fungus (Armillaria ostoyae) spans 2,385 acres (3.5 square miles or about 1,665 football fields) in Oregon's Malheur National Forest, in the Blue Mountains.

The honey fungus only reveals itself on top of the ground in the fall with the appearance of honey mushrooms. The fungus is parasitic meaning it will eventually kill the trees it feeds on and it helps the eco system by eating dead trees as well. Quoted by Wikipedia, Montreal Science Center and AI Review

These are both living organisms that link massive amounts of growth under the ground

through threads or roots called mycelium. But we only see the trees or the mushrooms in each case.

What else is huge and links us together? The Internet.

The Internet is a massive physical and digital infrastructure—a global "network of networks" that links millions of computers, servers, routers, and cables around the world.” Quoted with AI Review

In our physical bodies there are many large systems as well. Our circulation system winding its way around our whole body bringing blood, nutrients, oxygen and hormones around our bodies. We have a lymphatic system, a nervous system, and a muscular system.

The Bible mentions a “bitter root” in Hebrews 12:15. “See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”

What is a bitter root? It begins when we have taken offense at someone. Someone ticks us off, rejects us, betrays us or in some way makes us angry. Instead of forgiving and letting God take the weight, we hold onto it and begin stewing, and going over the incident over and over. These actions start the process of a bitter root to grow and fester. The root will eventually become larger and larger, like the underground roots of the trees and mushrooms. You cannot see it and not even know it’s there. But it begins to deaden your feelings in other areas, it can harden your heart. The bitter root is a parasitic root, meaning it feeds on other things in our bodies.

I remember a time where I did not think I could ever forgive someone. What they did was not right, unfair, hurtful and wrong! I held my bitterness for a long time. God called me to account for this. I told Him that I just “couldn’t”forgive this person.

God told me that He already knew that. He asked if I would be willing to let God forgive through me. He would supply the forgiveness, I would be the vessel it would pass through. I simply had to be willing to allow it.

It was hard because I did not feel that person deserved forgiveness. You know, God in His wisdom told me that I did not “deserve” His, Gods, forgiveness either. Jesus had to pay for my forgiveness. Oh boy, I got it, like a light bulb going off.

I did not deserve Gods favor on my own but He supplied Jesus to pay the price for my forgiveness. I did not earn it, deserve it or work for it. Here I was not even willing to extend Gods forgiveness to someone else. I was not even expected to drum it up. God would supply it.

I was willing and allowed God to help me forgive. The thing was the other person was not there, I did not have to include them in this decision. I did not have to reconcile the relationship. But I got free, the weight of the incident came off and I walked lighter. Forgiveness is for ourselves, not the other person, forgiveness is a God gift.

I had allowed a root to grow and it was harming me and I did not know it and I blamed the other person for well, everything.

I am grateful God does not leave us in these harmful consequences He does not leave me to me. He encourages healthy growth and like the Gardener He is, He offers to prune the diseased roots out, if we allow Him to by being willing.