I Have Mudlines.

In early March (2014) I attended Casting Crowns concert with friends from church. Honestly, I wouldn't have attended the concert on my own, but these tickets were gifted to us and I find it hard to turn down the company of wonderful friends. I went expecting a night of good fellowship and enjoyable music. I was given much more.

Let's back up 24 hours. In a brief quiet time (I'm the mother of a two year old, so they're almost always brief) with God, a song my sisterfriend wrote came to mind. She penned it inspired by the scripture Psalm 1:1-4. I began to sing the song, with the lyrics I could recall and thought, "hmm, that's odd". I hadn't thought about her song for a couple years.

Katie's Lyrics:

Blessed is the man who walks in the way of the righteous

Who doesn't take advice from those who don't care

Who don't care

Blessed is the man who walks in the way of the righteous

Who doesn't take advice from those who don't care

For he will be just like a tree

Whose roots dig deep beside a stream

This stream is the stream of life, the stream of life

For his delight is in the Lord

And on his law he meditates

Day and night, night and day
Night and day

Psalm 1:1-4

Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Onward to the concert. When the concert opened, there was a picture of this tree above. Or one just like it. The lead singer of Casting Crowns, Mark Hall, began to share the meaning of their new album THRIVE.  He spoke about the tree above having weathered so many storms that after Hurricane Katrina, people could not only see the lines that the mud left high up on the tree, but bicycles and other random rubbish in its branches. He went on to talk about the tree's deep and far reaching root system. He shared from Psalm 1:1-4 that a man planted by streams of water won't have withering leaves, they aren't blown away by winds.

I have been walking through thick, muddy doubt these past few years and I truly began to believe the enemy's lies that God was trying to get rid of me. That he wanted me to stop believing in Him, because I was too much work. It was with this scripture at this concert that I felt God say, "You have mudlines! You've been walking with me for 30 years and your roots are deep and wide. Do you think that this storm can blow you over? Do you think I would cultivate you for 30 years only to want to blow you over? I've invested myself in you. I want you to THRIVE!" Whoa. Lots of happy tears and a few songs later, my mind was blown and something in my spirit changed. I believed Him.

I have 3 decades of roots. I've had 30 seasons of leaves. I've had people find the rest and shade of Jesus in my branches. I've had some poop on me. (metaphorically and literally if you count the aforementioned 2 year old) The tree in the photo at the top is in Geneva, Alabama. In searching for a picture for this blog, I learned that this is called a "living witness" tree. I'm beginning to really like this tree.

I've been prompted over and over to start a blog and after the concert (that was 3 months ago now) I thought that the concept of mudlines, marks that show you've weathered some storms, might somehow tie in to the name for the blog. So here it is: Mudlines- Grounded to grow. Rooted to reach? You get the point.

Check out Mark Hall's video explaining his experience at the tree.