Humble Roots by Hannah Anderson

Have you ever sat and thought about what humility is really about? What it looks like? How we achieve it? On the flip side, do you know what pride is? Do you know where pride is rooted? It's more than just a boastful, swaggering appearance. And it can start out as such a small, simple seed.
Humble Roots does more than tell us "God wants us to be humble. So do it!" Thankfully, Anderson understands the struggle we face and she takes us back to the beginning, explaining step by step why humility is important in our Christian life and how our pride keeps us from rest.
One of the unique features of Humble Roots is Anderson's use of plant life to demonstrate how we are proud and how humility feeds our souls. She has a vast amount of knowledge on anything garden related and her life - as a pastor's wife in Virginia with a garden and yard to tend - comes out in her examples and writing. I learned quite a bit about Thomas Jefferson's failed vineyard, the value of heirloom tomatoes, and the many varieties of apples I'd never heard of before. And woven into all this is the story of God's grace, how He calls us to take His yoke upon ourselves, and why we need to choose humility to experience true rest.
Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of humility and a different flower/fruit/plant. Michelle Radford illustrated the plant in question for the beginning of each chapter and it helps to have that visual as you read about the sun-ripened tartness of a blackberry fresh for the picking. Or the stamina and perseverance of the lowly crocus. And because the illustrations are in black and white, anyone with a bent for coloring can grab some colored pencils and get creative while ruminating on the truths in Humble Roots.
Would I recommend this book? Absolutely. Even if you don't think pride is a huge problem for you, I dare you to keep that opinion after reading this book! Pride has become woven into so many other areas of life that we often don't see it in ourselves. But we certainly notice it in someone else! Anderson notes that being humble means realizing who we are in light of Who God is. Just dwell on that for minute. If we kept a proper view of God throughout our daily life, would we try to control everything? Would we be restless because life isn't going our way? Would we be proud of our few accomplishments?
No matter what stage of life we find ourselves in, this book will speak volumes about letting go of the weights of this world and leaning on God. Finding rest in humbling ourselves and looking to the ultimate example of humility, Jesus Himself.




I was provided a copy of this book from the publisher. This review and the thoughts expressed are my own and were not influenced in any way by others.