Of Trees and Men

This was written by a very special young man that I know. Thank you Brandon for sharing this with us!

Of Trees and Men by Brandon Querin.

I’m originally a California kid and I would be lying to you if I told you I didn’t miss the scenery. The weekend beach trips were great but I always preferred the mountains, one of my favorite sights to see were the coastal redwoods and the giant sequoia trees. They are the largest trees on earth and you have to see them in person to really soak in how awesome they are. I was asked to say a little something in a weekly email to our staff and these trees came to mind. I believe there is a spiritual lesson they can teach us.

The Giant Sequoia
The largest tree on earth is a giant sequoia it is called the General Sherman it stands 275′ tall 102′ in circumference and 2.7 million LBs, she’s a beast! A bitter old one, probably over 2000 years old. Giant sequoias can credit their long life partially to their thick bark, it can be 3′ thick and is fire retardant, and this is what enables them to survive all of the wildfires of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. They discovered that not only do they survive fire, but it actually helps the species by burning away competing underbrush and enriching the forest floor with nutrients for new sequoia seeds to germinate and grow.

Spiritual lesson from the giant sequoia:
In life sometimes it pays to have thick skin, don’t let every little thing get you down.
In the midst of the fire (hardships, trials) all you can think about is the heat, but the fire will not destroy you it can actually benefit you, if you let it, it can burn away the things in your life that are holding you back and even create space for new things grow.

1 Peter 4:12
“Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.”

James 1:2-4
“Dear brothers and sisters,when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to GROW. 4 SO LET IT GROW, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”

The Coastal Redwood:
The coastal redwood is leaner and taller than the giant sequoia, it can grow over 300′. Like the sequoia, the redwood requires a lot of water to survive, in times of drought the redwood can still survive by capturing fog in its foliage and “making its own rain”. The coastal redwoods have massive shallow root systems that intertwine together and can span 100 miles! A ditch diggers nightmare.

Spiritual lesson from the coastal redwood:
Just like the 100 miles of intertwined roots, learn to lean on each other, this life was not meant to be lived alone, and you are not alone!
At the same time if you feel like you are in a spiritual or emotional drought, God has not left you high and dry sometimes you gotta “make it rain” find a verse of encouragement, a promise in the word, pray in the spirit, or put on some worship music and thank God for bringing you as far as He has. Ultimately we are responsible for our own spiritual well-being and growth.

1 Thessalonians 5:11
“So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.”

1 Samuel 30:6
“And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.”

Jude 1:20
“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,”