through the fire

Nature’s skyscrapers. Giants. The California Hoax. Sequoias are some of earth’s largest and oldest trees to date… and they are right here in my backyard for the summer. But what is so incredible to me, other than the size and beauty of these trees, is their seeds. From a seed the size of one oat grain (one tiny oat grain!!), the world’s largest trees are born. Such a humble beginning, am I right? It is such a great reminder that spectacular things don’t need spectacular beginnings, that even the smallest of starts can turn into sequoia tree kind of ends. Every time I walk under one I’m in awe of the magnitude, and I’m overcome with a sense of comfort because they make me think of another humble beginning story. Jesus, who came down as a lowly baby, came to earth to redeem us and save us. His humble beginning and his ultimate sacrifice ended in our salvation- which is the greatest giant sequoia tree kind of ending. 

Another thing these trees have taught me is grit and steadfastness. Strolling through the visitor’s center before work the other day, I came across a display of a cut tree trunk dating back several hundred years ago (which isn’t even that old for these trees). Trees have this cool way of telling you their story within the age rings. Fires leave their mark like a branding, and the size of the ring indicates that amount of water that was present during that specific year. Through wildfires, droughts, and the seasons in between, these trees have stood their ground. In fact, fires are actually beneficial to sequoias, opening up the pinecones to expose the seeds so that new trees can grow. In Malachi 3:2 it references God as a refiner’s fire, refining and purifying the sons of Levi like gold and silver. Sometimes it takes the fire to rid of your old self. As fire brings forth life for sequoias, God uses fire to bring forth new life in us, molding us to become better versions of ourselves. And He won’t leave us to go through the fire alone either. Just as He was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fire in book of Daniel, God will be right there with us through our times of trial. Though the fire might hurt in the process, I know that God’s plan is greater.