Humble Roots
Humble Roots: How Humility Grounds and Nourishes Your Soul
By: Hannah Anderson
Each chapter talked about a different aspect of humility and the author would relate it to a specific plant or gardening themed story. I'm not much for gardening so some of the connections weren't as meaningful as maybe they would be with those who garden. And some of the chapters I struggled with how the story related to the point she was trying to make. So overall, it was a mediocre read for me- namely for a somewhat lack of cohesiveness in the writing, and lack of interest in her illustrations.
That being said, I did glean a lot of insights on humility and agreed with the majority of her thoughts. Humility really does all boil down to having a proper view of who God is and who we are in relation to him. Regardless of your opinions on gardening, I would still give this book a try. Here are a few excerpts to give you an idea of what to expect.
One chapter I particularly liked was about humility in regard to our desires (fulfilled and unfulfilled):
“We can plan. We can build a trellis. We can plant beans. We can do all the right things. But we are not guaranteed a harvest simply because we worked hard and planned well. (James 4:13-16) Pride tells us that all we have to do is organize well enough, plan effectively enough, and work hard enough and we can achieve our dreams. Humility teaches us that it was never up to us in the first place.”
"When we are denied the very things our hearts long for, we learn to long for the one thing that will never be denied us, God himself."
Another chapter I liked talked about humility in regard to our privilege, or the gifts and resources God has given to us:
"But in His wisdom, He’s crafted the world in such a way that you can’t [cultivate your gifts] apart from him. You will regularly have to take risks, you will regularly feel pressed past your abilities, you will regularly feel like the husk of your life is being broken open and your seeds scattered to the wind. But this is exactly how he means to teach you humility. This is exactly how he means to relieve you of your burden of guilt and self-reliance."
"…humility teaches us to ask, ‘What has God given, and what responsibility do I have because of it?’… Suddenly our sense of entitlement or guilt no longer drives our choices. Suddenly everything is a gift and everything has purpose."
“When we believe that with enough effort, enough organization, or enough commitment, we can fix things that are broken, we set ourselves in God’s place. And when we do, we reap stress, restlessness, and anxiety. Instead of submitting to His yoke, we break it and run wild, trampling the very ground we are meant to cultivate. It is understandable that we fear the yoke. We fear the loss of control. We fear surrender. But we must also understand that without the protections of a good master, we are not safe. From the manipulation of other masters. From the expectations of society. From ourselves… We must come to Him to be tamed. And when we are, He promises that we will find rest for our souls.”