One of the things that keeps me “rooted” is reading the Psalms every day. And there’s one particular psalm that reminds me of my roots. Psalm 86 (NRSV) says,

But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
Turn to me and be gracious to me;
Give your strength to your servant;
Save the child of your serving girl.

Did you catch the psalmist’s argument there? “Be gracious to me—A) because I’m your servant, but even more so because, B) my mom is your servant.” It’s as if the psalmist is saying, “Look, you may not remember me, but I KNOW you remember my mom. Do it for my mom’s sake!”

I’ve always suspected that when I pray, God says, “Oh, it’s Rhea’s girl again—I guess I’d better see what she wants.”  Maybe that’s fanciful—and I’m pretty sure it would embarrass my mom. But there’s something sweet and, well, inspiring about the psalmist’s recognition that his mom and God are “like this.” Maybe, by God’s grace, we can be, too!