While vacationing in
California, we were
able to visit the
Sequoia trees near
Yosemite National Park.
One of the things that
impressed me most
was a cross-section
of a tree that had lived
for hundreds of years.
The rings of the tree
were clearly visible,
and some showed
up more than others.
One series of rings
was particularly dark.
It turned out that there
was a forest fire one
of those years,
and that the growth
of the tree was effected
for several growing seasons.
The growth of the tree
was hindered for those seasons
of trial by fire,
but relative to the tree’s
total picture of life,
it was only a
minor discoloration
on a sea of
normal and healthy growth rings.
damian gerke
in “the pastor’s story file”
