What’s under your dirt?

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32 NIV)

A few weeks ago I was preparing for a retreat message titled, Truth Revealed. After a few hours of grinding pencil to paper, I was having serious writer’s block. Feeling the serious need to produce and accomplish something after hours of non-productive activity, I decided to take a break and weed my driveway.

With gloves on, and a rake and shovel in my bucket, I tackled my overgrown driveway and the feelings of frustration I felt over not being able to come up with anything good to say to the ladies at the retreat about the subject of Truth Revealed. So I weeded and prayed; weeded and prayed; and weeded and prayed some more.

Pulling up an unusually tough weed, I yanked and pulled until the roots came loose unearthing not only a big clump of dirt at the bottom of the plant, but also a big walnut shell! I had pulled out the early stages of a walnut tree. Right away I was inspired. Dropping my shovel and leaving the bucket behind, I knew exactly what God wanted me to talk about at the retreat.

What is under your dirt?

In his book, “The Power of Belief”, Ray Dodd says, “What you are experiencing in this very moment is the culmination of everything you have agreed to believe.”

What we have agreed to believe is made up of our experiences, childhood memories, heartbreak, joy, challenge, triumph, what people have said about us, and what we have said about ourselves.

When I was weeding, I had no idea the walnut was under the dirt. I only saw what looked like a long weed (the beginning of a walnut tree). Many times, our deepest held beliefs are hidden to us. This is like the walnut under the dirt.  But our responses to life, our relationships, God, our jobs, our environment, are determined by what is hidden under the dirt, our beliefs. Thus, making our responses to life, our circumstance, to God and to people is the tree (or what I thought was a weed). But my question to you is this: Is what you believe, truth or is what you believe, opinion?

Honestly, consider that question. I believe it is the difference between a transformed life of freedom, peace, love and joy and a life plagued with questions, doubts, and fears.

So tell me, what is under your dirt?