trees, forests and everything in between

This past fall I went on a trip that easily became my favorite. My brother and I decided to take a few days off and go out to Yosemite and Sequoia national parks. I knew these places were beautiful but I had no idea how much I would fall in love with them. Simple things like the rays of sunshine shining through the big Sequoia trees as we drove through the mountains made everything feel magical as if we were in a fairytale. My friends and family know that I absolutely adore trees. You know, the big, tall, majestic redwoods and pine trees. This could not have been a better place to visit. All I wanted to do is stop in a middle of a forest and take it all in. I love the rich and crisp air in forests. I know, I am weird, but out of all the places in the world that I could be at, I would always pick the forest. It has so much character and life to it that it would be impossible to ignore this gem.

We spent some time hiking and enjoying the massive trees in Sequoia National Park. As we drove into the park, we saw significant sections of the forest damaged due to fires. It made me think how grateful I am to the firefighters that try to contain the fire in order to preserve the beauty of these parks. Some of those trees are as old as 3,000 years. I can’t imagine them burning down and leaving the forest empty. What struck me the most was the amount of large trees that had fire damage on them yet they were still standing and growing. We later learned that these trees basically need four things in their environment for them to grow and prosper. One of which was an ashy ground. I was a bit confused how a fire, something so damaging and hurtful, is able to be a good thing. Well, a fire clears out areas on the forest floor, which creates light and opportunity for other trees to continue to grow without fighting for resources. Once the trees have an opportunity to grow, obviously it takes a long time for them to become so big and beautiful. Not only that but it is strong from within. A tree to big and tall wouldn’t be able to withstand all the winds, storms and fires if it were empty and hallow on the inside. Another thing that blew me away was the fact that the roots of theses massive 300-foot trees were only 3 feet below the surface. Like what?! I couldn’t believe what I heard. I mean how can a tree so big hold itself up? It turns out that although the roots aren’t deep, they spread across, left and right, while interlocking roots with their neighbors and in turn support one another. Personally, I think this is the coolest thing ever!

You just received a mini lesson on trees, you’re welcome. There is something about nature that always draws me back to Him (maybe because He is the creator, haha?).  So many times on our faith walk we want growth to come overnight. We know what we want and we want it now. These trees remind me that growth doesn’t come in a blink of an eye. We need to give it time and let the Creator develop and guide our hearts to reflect His. He uses our most painful moments to make something beautiful. Many of the Sequoia trees came from ashes. Literally, the thing that brings hurt and pain doesn’t stop God from using it for our growth and His glory. It is mind blowing to know that there is nothing out of His reach. It was equally amazing to realize that we as followers of Christ are supporters of each other. We are not able to stand on our own. We need to look to our left and right and spread our roots and His love in every which way.

"He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realise just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me." 

~David Crowder