Good morning…
On Saturday, August 4th, 2018, three of us hiked quietly through a mountainous forest near Cashiers, North Carolina. We came upon an interesting plaque beside a fallen tree. “Competition is fierce in nature,” read the engraved words, “even among the beautiful trees, shrubs, and herbs in the forest. Sunlight, water, and nutrients are quietly ‘fought over’ by entangled root systems and branches of neighboring plants.”
The wisdom untangled as we read along: “The large fallen tree suddenly created a very narrow slice of forest, which was uninhabited. Today the decaying trunk has become a ‘nurse tree’ providing a site for young plants to become established. Eventually, the ‘nurse tree’ will completely decay, leaving no trace of its existence except for a sliver of vegetation which otherwise might not have survived.”
The sacred, natural cycle of life encourages us to ponder, “What fallen loved ones have played ‘nurse tree’ to me, making space for sunlight, water, and nutrients to feed my maturing soul?”
Likewise, our minds wander to wonder: “What people from my lifetime, like slivers of vegetation, will survive and thrive because of me?”
The Lord answered, “Could a mother forget a child who nurses at her breast? Could she fail to love an infant who came from her own body? Even if a mother could forget, I will never forget you” (Isaiah 49:15, CEV).
…Sue…
