Live Like A Redwood

Recently, the Melbourne sisters went on Mystery Tour #2. We ended up at a redwood forest near Warburton, about one hour from Melbourne. These trees are really, really tall, with some reaching a height of around 55 metres, and to walk among the almost 1,500 90-year-old redwoods is an awe-inspiring experience. Yet incredibly, these trees are mere babies in the redwood world, given that their life span can be up to 1800 years, and their height could reach around 100 metres.

You might be mistaken like me and think that trees like this must have an incredible root system, and they do – just not in the way you might think. Instead of having roots that sink deep below the ground, these trees actually have relatively shallow roots, somewhere between 2 and 3.5 metres. Instead, the roots spread out even as far as 30 metres to cover a large diameter, meaning that the roots of these trees intertwine with their neighbours, forming a valuable support network.

I began to ponder that these trees can teach us something about what it means to live a life of faith. Perhaps we too will grow taller (and go further in our lives of faith) when we also spread our roots far, not only supporting and encouraging others, but allowing them to support and encourage us. The strength of these trees is evident, and it is challenging yet exciting to think that the same is possible for me and you. These trees are also a place where many creatures have made their home, showing that they are an attractive home of life and peace. Again, it could seem to me that this is our call as well -that we would live our faith lives in a way that is attractive, drawing others to come close, and to shelter inthe presence of the one who created us.

So my challenge to you is this – learn to live like a redwood and begin to notice the beauty that surrounds you when you do! (and if you live in Melbourne – go and check out the Redwood Forest!)

Mel Edwards