The Rooted Life: Like Trees Planted by Water

This executive summary outlines the key points from Ds Elrika Senekal's address at an agricultural congress, where she represented the Bible Society.

Speaker and Organization:

• Ds Elrika Senekal is the team leader for the central region of the Bible Society, which covers the Free State and Northern Cape.
• Her work involves serving a geographically vast area with a relatively small population.
• The Bible Society operates solely on donations, and literature distribution is challenging due to donation issues.
• The organization prioritizes praying for farmers daily, acknowledging the vital role farming plays in the inland regions.

Core Message and Metaphor – Being Like a Tree:

• The central theme of the talk is comparing righteous individuals, particularly those who trust in and fear the Lord, to trees planted by water, drawing from Jeremiah 17, Psalm 1, and Proverbs 3:18.
• This metaphor suggests that if one's roots (trust/faith) are directed towards the "living water" (Jesus), external conditions like drought (difficulties) will not cause the person to wither; instead, they will continue to bear fruit.

Impact and Benefits of Being a "Tree":

• Improved Work Ethic: Contact with the Bible and spiritual service among farm workers in Kakamas led to better attitudes and improved work performance, a benefit also observed in the construction industry.
• Resilience and Stability: Just as a deeply rooted tree is hard to uproot, a person firmly anchored in faith is stable.
• Provides Comfort and Reduces Stress:

    ◦ Strategically planted trees can cool an environment by up to 20 degrees, symbolizing how a "tree-like" person can reduce "temperature" or tension in challenging situations.

    ◦ Trees block noise, representing how anchored individuals can mitigate the "noise" of conflict, mockery, and apostasy in the world.

    ◦ Being near trees is beneficial for spiritual and social well-being, suggesting that spending time with such "tree-like" people is soul-refreshing.

• Guidance and Support: Like trees used for navigation, a "tree-like" person can help others find their way and stay on the right path.
• Environmental Benefits (Metaphorical): Trees filter water and prevent soil erosion, signifying how these individuals contribute positively to their communities and "filter" negativity.
• Growth in Adversity: A key insight is that tree roots grow primarily during autumn and winter, when growth above ground is dormant. This means that significant spiritual and personal growth often occurs during difficult seasons ("autumn and winter" in one's life or farming endeavors).
• Continuous Growth: Root hairs are functional for only a few days, emphasizing the need for constant new growth at the root tips, encouraging continuous spiritual development and effort.

The speaker encourages the audience, particularly farmers, to embrace this image, knowing that their strength and help come from God, allowing them to remain fruitful and a source of comfort and guidance to others, even in challenging times. The talk also included personal anecdotes, such as the speaker's humorous past "salt fiasco" sermon and the serendipitous alignment of her chosen topic with the congress's theme of "Roots, Trees, and Growth".