Last week we were in Yosemite and had the great thrill of seeing the giant sequoia trees. These trees are so huge, it is hard to believe they are real. Some of them are actually as tall as a 26 story building, taller than the Statue of Liberty. We were in awe.
As we walked through the grove staring at these giants, the biggest living organism on earth, I began to see some great object lessons.
The first fact that amazed me was the size of the Giant Sequoia cone.
The cones are about 3 inches long, smaller than the cones of a lot of other pine trees. That was pretty amazing in itself...to think that these giants began as a tiny seed hidden inside a small cone. Sugar pine cones can be as large as 18 inches, and the Ponderosa pine cone is about 6 inches long. From the smallest cone grows the largest tree... The cone is also very dense. They don't crumble when they are stepped on. The seeds are very well protected deep inside the cones. Squirrels and bugs chew and the cones to release the seeds to grow new trees. Without them, the seeds would remain unusable. Those little critters are needed for the giant trees to grow. Just like the little annoyances that come in life, that God uses to crack us open so that His life can grow.
As we enjoyed the trees, we noticed that almost all of them had damage from fire.Fire is an important element of the giant sequoia’s ecosystem. Naturally occurring fires create openings in the forest, allowing young giant sequoias to establish themselves. Without fire, there will be too many small trees and bushes that will reduce the likelihood of giant sequoia regeneration.
Do you see the easy application? We need the fires in our life. The big trials and difficulties that burn out the junk and make room for growth. These giants took my breath away, and I also left Yosemite with a lot on my mind.
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