If you have read our monthly blogs, you will by now understand my love for nature. There is so much to learn from each of the seasons, every petal, or bug, and here I am again, pondering on the lessons that the Creator has placed in nature for us.
Every living organism has a purpose. The towering mountains down to the minuscule ants. At a quick glance, you may think certain living creatures are unimportant, created just for the heck of it. But if you spend the time to zoom in and put their life under a microscope, you will find it to be a different story. Our creator is not a mindless artist, He has full intention in each stroke of His brush.
Redwood trees. These monstrous, beautiful trees are high on my bucket list to see in person. Their presence demands to be heard by me. Their subject has come up multiple times in the past month or so. I would like to share my findings with you!
Let's take a closer look at the Redwood trees and see what we can learn from them.
Take a Rest
I recently heard a story about Redwood trees. The story goes: A group of researchers injected a number of specific redwood trees with a chemical similar to adrenaline to try to prevent them from wintering. These trees that normally live for hundreds of years died within a year because they did not have a season of wintering. The moral of the story; we need winter in order to bloom in spring. We as humans always want to be producing, and blooming, but we cannot always be at the height of the season. So, take this more as a metaphor. Seasons were created for a purpose. Nature needs rest, a season of dormancy. And so do we. Without rest, how do we bloom?
Intertwined Roots
The Redwoods have much to teach us. Did you know that a Redwood tree cannot grow alone? Their root systems are so shallow that they need other Redwood roots to latch onto. Without their intertwined roots, they would fall right over. Even trees need community! “Redwoods do not survive alone…ever. They form “tribes” or communities. Sometimes, they grow so close to each other that they merge at the base into one tree. The first thing they provide each other is strength and support: intertwining roots. Not deep, but wide, living in an embrace of others. The merged roots also meet their needs for nurture. The entire system relies on their rooted connections.” (source)
Francine Rivers writes, “A good wind could blow one over if it were standing alone like an oak tree on a hillside. But because redwoods grow together, the roots are interwoven, adding strength so that when the winds come, and the rains pour and soak the soil, these trees stand and continue to grow − some for more than a thousand years.”
When you first look at a Redwood, you’d think they could grow alone. The Redwoods are just one of many lessons we can learn from nature. As humans, we need rest to grow, we need community to live and thrive.
Take time this winter to truly rest. Reflect on your life and what goals you want to achieve come spring. Let your roots intertwine with the community. I challenge you to look around at nature and see what lessons you can learn from the living organisms all around us.
Commentaires