Coffee & Common Grounds

It took my friend standing at the window, quietly looking out at the clump of trees in our backyard, for me to really see them. She didn’t say much — she just noticed them. Five big trees, grown together over nearly forty years, their branches tangled, their shade stretched wide across the ground.

But after she left the house, I found myself looking at them again. And as I stood there, the Holy Spirit began giving me thoughts I hadn’t considered before — gentle reminders, spiritual parallels, little whispers of truth tucked into something as ordinary as a cluster of trees.

Those trees didn’t grow alone. Their roots intertwined, their trunks leaned into each other, and their branches stretched out as one canopy. It reminded me how God grows us in spiritual community — not isolated, but strengthened by the people He plants around us.

Storms have come through the years, but those trees still stand because their roots share strength. That’s what happens when we stay rooted in God’s Word and in the fellowship He gives us.

As I watched the deer eating beneath the branches and the squirrels enjoying the sunflower seeds we put out, I realized something: healthy things naturally provide for others. When God nourishes us, we become a place of rest, encouragement, and spiritual shade for those around us. That’s the beauty of spiritual overflow.

The trees don’t strive to offer shade. They don’t work to feed the squirrels. They simply are what God made them to be — and their presence becomes provision. That’s the kind of life the Holy Spirit grows in us: planted, nourished, strengthened, and then overflowing into the lives of others.

But here’s the part the Holy Spirit kept pressing on my heart:

those trees didn’t choose their growth — but they did stay rooted.

And spiritually, that’s where our part comes in.

It’s up to us to stay rooted in the Holy Spirit, grounded in that intimate, daily relationship with Him. When we remain connected — truly connected — He produces the kind of fruit in us that looks like Jesus. Not forced fruit. Not performance fruit. But the natural, Spirit-grown fruit of a life surrendered to Him.

When we stay rooted in Him, we begin to:

• reflect His character
• respond with His gentleness
• walk in His wisdom
• love with His compassion
• carry His peace into every room

That’s the image of Christ being formed in us.

And just like those trees, our spiritual growth doesn’t stop with us.

Others begin to flourish because of what God is doing in us.
Our shade becomes someone else’s shelter.
Our fruit becomes someone else’s nourishment.
Our stability becomes someone else’s encouragement.
Our presence becomes a place where others feel safe, seen, and strengthened.

That’s the beauty of a life rooted in the Spirit — it overflows.
Not because we try harder, but because we stay connected longer.

And just like those five trees standing together in my backyard, we grow best when we grow with others. Rooted in Christ. Strengthened by community. Nourished by the Spirit. And offering shade, rest, and nourishment to every “deer” and “squirrel” God brings beneath our branches.