Trees
The trees of the field will clap their hands.
– Isaiah 55:12
–––
In the forest, there are unwritten guidelines for tree etiquette. These guidelines lay down the proper appearance for upright members of ancient forests and acceptable forms of behavior. This is what a mature, well-behaved deciduous tree looks like. It has a ramrod-straight trunk with a regular, orderly arrangement of wood fibers. The roots stretch out evenly in all directions and reach down into the earth under the tree. In its youth, the tree had narrow branches extending sideways from its trunk. They died back a long time ago, and the tree sealed them off with fresh bark and new wood so that what you see now is a long, smooth column. Only when you get to the top do you see a symmetrical crown formed of strong branches angling upward like arms raised to heaven.
An ideally formed tree such as this can grow to be very old. Similar rules hold for conifers, except that the topmost branches should be horizontal or bent slightly downward. And what is the point of all this? Deep down inside, do trees secretly appreciate beauty? Unfortunately, I cannot say, but what I can tell you is that there is a good reason for this ideal appearance: stability.
The large crowns of mature trees are exposed to turbulent winds, torrential rains, and heavy loads of snow. The tree must cushion the impact of these forces, which travel down the trunk to the roots. The roots must hold out under the onslaught so that the tree doesn't topple over. To avoid this, the roots cling to the earth and to rocks. The redirected power of a windstorm can tear at the base of the trunk with a force equivalent to a weight of 220 tons. If there is a weak spot anywhere in the tree, it will crack. In the worst-case scenario, the trunk breaks off completely and the whole crown tumbles down.
Evenly formed trees absorb the shock of buffeting forces, using their shape to direct and divide these forces evenly throughout their structure.
– ‘The Hidden Life of Trees’ (Peter Wohlleben)
O, beloved!
Isn’t it fun thinking about trees? I especially love pondering trees growing Together! They grow so very slowly, yes – like us? Aye!
I have so many thoughts when it comes to trees, do you know?
For example, trees – they’re so very innocent! They…live exactly as they were created to live. That’s it. They don’t strive towards greatness, or grasp after things – nay. They simply let nature run its course as God intended. If a storm happens upon them and they suffer, they don’t lash out. They don’t become angry, or fight back. They don’t rebel. They don’t even have such capacity to do so! And, they…are glorious, they are good, just as God created them.
Trees are living things. They are so very dependent on God to sustain them, continually. They need sunlight, and water, and moderate conditions. They can sustain some hazards: harsh winds, seasons of drought, a trivial few pests, a dash of disease, etc., but they are quite fragile – really – just like us! If too much time goes by without water or too severe an affliction presses upon them, they will die. What a beautiful thing it is to be living! and sustained by the living God!
Trees were designed by our Creator to follow particular patterns or ways of being, just like us! As Peter describes, an “ideal” tree structure is symmetrical. Of course, there are millions, if not trillions of factors that go into the health and well-being of an “ideal”, healthy tree. And to even begin to imagine all the complexity of our bodies, mind, and soul…and the similarly infinite variables that account for our health and sustenance…!? I…can hardly even imagine! Thanks be to God! for His lovingkindness in gently prodding us along, correcting us, chastising us, tenderly leading us in the way we should go. And all along the way allowing us to exercise our will and affections of our hearts…and…(mind trails off in awe and wonder)
O, beloved! Let us Together, with the trees, clap our hands and rejoice and sing praises to our God! For He is indeed good.