Last summer, I spent a week speaking at a Christian Camp in Mt. Hermon, near San Jose, CA. In the midst of preaching endeavors, I managed to steal some time and do some exploring of the area nearby, and ended up in Henry Cowell Redwood State Park.
Sequoia sempervirens is what they’re called. “Sempervirens” means “ever-living” or “evergreen.” That’s about right—these babies have long lives and have been known to live for over 2000 years. And are they big, or what? One of the tallest of the species (not in Henry Cowell) has attained 380 ft. in height and 26 ft in diameter. Massive.
One of the reasons for their longevity is the thickness of their bark, almost a foot thick. This combined with the foliage that begins high above the ground, provides them with plenty of protection from fire and insects.Solid. Substantial. Long-lived. Blessed!
who trusts in the LORD ….
For he will be like a tree
planted by the water,
That extends its roots by a stream
And will not fear
when the heat comes;
But its leaves will be green,
And it will not be anxious
in a year of drought
Nor cease to yield fruit.
Jeremiah 17:7–8
Flourishing. Prospering. In the presence of God.
like the palm tree,
He will grow
like a cedar in Lebanon.
Planted in the house of the LORD,
They will flourish
in the courts of our God.
Psalm 92:12–13
Those coastal redwoods are known to reproduce asexually by sprouting from fallen parts of the tree. Not rarely, when a tree falls over, it regenerates a line of daughters arrayed along the horizontal trunk. Daughters (why not sons?) also sprout around the mama tree stump—producing a “fairy ring” of trees. More redwoods. Solid. Substantial. Long-lived. Blessed! Flourishing. Prospering. In the presence of God.
Leaving a legacy for others.
who fears the LORD,
Who walks in His ways.
When you shall eat of the fruit
of your hands,
You will be happy
and it will be well with you.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
Within your house,
Your children like olive plants
Around your table.
Behold, for thus shall the man
be blessed who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion,
And may you see the prosperity
of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
Indeed, may you see
your children's children.
Peace be upon Israel!
Psalm 128:1–6
It is very likely that all of us believers are standing on the shoulders of such “redwoods,” “cedars,” and “palm trees” that have left a legacy. Of course there are innumerable saints of yesteryear, whom we only know by name: the first disciples, the church fathers, thoughtful theologians, faithful servants and martyrs, ….
We must be thankful for them, of course, those invisible witnesses cheering us on.
a cloud of witnesses surrounding us,
let us also lay aside
every encumbrance
and the sin which so easily entangles us,
and let us run with endurance
the race that is set before us.
Hebrews 12:1
But what about those stellar specimens of flora and arbor that we know, that are familiar to us personally, that have invested in our lives?
who spoke the word of God to you;
and considering
the result of their conduct,
imitate their faith.
Hebrews 13:7
Remember … and would you thank them this week? The redwoods of our lives!
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3 comments:
Thank YOU, Dr. Abe!
>> Remember … and would you thank them this week? The redwoods of our lives!
Thank you, Abe!
Eric
You, Abe, have definitely been a Redwood in my life as well as my sister's life (Sylvia)who went to be with the Lord January '09. Sylvia died of lung cancer at age 46 but rededicated her life before going home. Some of her last thoughts were of you and the profound effect your love for God had on us both. Thank you Dr. Dr. Kuruvilla!
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