Rooted in God’s Love

Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NRSV) Blessed are those who trust in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit.

These words remind me that our strength and faith come from connection. When we realize that we are connected, or rooted, in the world that God gave us, we are sustained even in challenging times.

I have recently heard a series of conversations on WUOT between reporter Pierce Gentry and East Tennessee survivors of Hurricane Helena, which struck in September of 2024. A year later, Gentry revisited people he had met in the storm’s aftermath. The people he interviewed lost everything in the floods that accompanied the storm.

Michael Davis of Butler, TN, remembered, ”My trailer was sitting there, but it was full of water, so we lost our clothes and 54 years of pictures. Our baby pictures, our wedding pictures. All of it.”

Allyson Felty recalled, “It was terror. It was terror. And mostly because of the unknown. I never would have expected anything to that magnitude.”

Frank Brough, who lived in a historic house built by the Sevier family in 1846, said the water came up to the second story joists. The hardest decision Brough had to make was whether to attempt to save the house. But the community stepped in. When neighbors came in to help, Brough recalled, “they carried mud out…in five-gallon containers, and they probably moved a million pounds of mud.”

Joy Lambert, who had left her home for higher ground, watched as nearby apartments were swept off their foundation by the raging waters and hit her mobile home. “I seen it go, and yet my eyes couldn’t fathom what I had seen.”

Pierce Gentry asked all these survivors the same question at the end of the interviews: “What does healing mean to you?” The similarity of their answers is inspiring:

Alyson Felty said, “You know, God is so good. And He has provided to us more than I could have ever imagined.”

Michael Davis answered, “Thank God for all of God’s people. Without God’s people, I wouldn’t be here.”

Joy Lambert answered, “Healing for me is just to trust the Lord and leave it to Him.”

His voice choking up with tears, Frank Brough answered, “All of the time God is good. He is in control…My wife and I live in faith, believing all things work together for good for those that love the Lord.”

The people of East Tennessee are resilient and are rooted in faith. Even though many roots were washed away in Hurricane Helene, the deep roots of faith and community have sustained them. They are like ‘a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream.’

Let us pray:

Dear God, thank you for keeping us rooted even in the most tragic times. Thank you for showing us the humanity in our communities that overcomes the worst that can happen and restores our hope. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

This devotional was written by Laura Derr and read by Judy Wilson.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

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