Roots and Wings.

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. John 14:26 

Most of you spent your weekend delivering flowers, putting thoughtful notes in cards and cooking elaborate dinners to celebrate the MOMS in your life. Whether it was your biological mom, a grandma, an in-law or just an amazing woman in your life, I hope you had someone to celebrate. Each of us have these important woman that nurture us, shape us, and help us become who we are today. So it is only right that we have at least one day set aside to celebrate them. 

I think each of our moms have in some way or another given us gifts. Maybe the things they have instilled in you stand out or maybe they are little things you barely notice. Maybe it seems like she has left you nothing or maybe it is obvious she has given you everything. All these things make some difference in our lives but I think there is one special gift a mother can give her child. 

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One is roots; the other, wings." - Hodding Carter, Jr. 

Roots. They establish the system of growth. They nourish the plant. They transport all the essential needs. And they define the flower's place of origin. A tree or plant cannot grow without roots. Roots are the very thing that allow all the other parts of the flower to grow. Yet, most of the time roots are invisible to the eye. Certainly, if you dug deeper you might uncover roots, but the flower stands on roots that most will never even see. What kind of roots has your mom given you? What kind of roots does a mother's love pass on? Values, religion, work ethic and mortality are all roots that we so often get from mom. Think about the foundation of who you are and how you became that way. Chances are you can trace these things back to childhood moments and lessons learned at the hand of your mother. 

Wings. Wings expand. Wings allow you to move, to soar, and to fly. Without wings, we would see no birds traveling across the sky. Think about traveling, without wings a plane cannot fly. How would we get across the ocean? A boat perhaps, but that would slow us down. There is freedom in wings. The possibilities of adventure are endless. What wings has your mother given you? Has she pursued her dreams, and encouraged you to pursue yours? Does she push you to do what she knows you can? Does she let you make mistakes and learn for yourself? Moms who give their kids wings teach them passion, and pursuit, and possibility. 

The roots and wings our mothers pass to us are truly beautiful, and should be treasured always, but as I watched the teens at my church receive the gift of the Holy Spirit at their Confirmation last week, I saw roots and wings of another kind. 

As they made their way up to the Bishop and oil sealed the gifts of the Holy Spirit, I'm sure each of them received so many beautiful things; wisdom, courage, understanding. But beyond that, maybe the most profound thing these teens received is roots and wings.

Each of us, when we accept God into our lives, start to develop roots. We learn the teachings of our faith. We hear the word of God. We find hope in prayer and find Christian values. When we make a full commitment to the church, through Confirmation, we are saying yes to all these things.  We are verifying that indeed these are the roots that nourish us. We are establishing that this is where we get our food. And for the rest of our lives, these roots will become our foundation. 

But, like a mother who pushes her kids to pursue their passions, when we are sealed with the Holy Spirit we are given wings. We are given all these amazing gifts, not so that we can stick to the same old ways.  We are given them so that we can soar. 

The Holy Spirit inspires us and encourages us to live bigger and love bigger. Suddenly, when we rely on this guide in our lives we start flying when we never even knew we could. The Holy Spirit does not say this is what you will do, and this is when, and this is how, just like a good mother does not decide all these things for you either. We are given the freedom to explore and pursue and dream and mess up. That's how we learn. That's how we grow. A good mother gives her child the space to experience these things. That's how you know her true love. And experiencing that freedom is how you know the Holy Spirit is alive in you. 

It is a gift you cannot really contain in a box. It is one that is difficult to explain. But if you have been given the gift of roots and wings you will feel it. And the best thing you can do in return is use them. 

Embrace your roots. Let them shape who you are and allow yourself to grow with them. But spread your wings too. Fly over the ocean. Adventure. Take risks. Make mistakes. And learn from them. 

We can give our moms pretty packages, but ask any lady and I am sure seeing their child thrive would be the best gift they could receive. We can put on a pretty face for the Holy Spirit too. Play it safe. But I am certain we were not blessed with such a beautiful gift to be ordinary. Thrive. Soar. Trust in your roots. Spread your wings. And live and love in a way worthy of their wonder.