A Redwood Tree vs Zues...Who Wins?
I am not a fan of lightning. As a kid, I would sleep in my parent’s bed whenever I heard the thunder or saw the flashing of light. Once the lightning got too close, I would knock on my parent’s bedroom door. I now understand why my father would be upset with me each night there was a storm, this happened about once or twice a week for 3 or 4 years!!
Tonight as I drove back from the airport I was marveled by a tremendous storm. Every 10 – 15 seconds, the sky would illuminate with electric bolts. Zeus was very angry tonight!! Last night over 20,000 bolts were recorded in the Central Florida area. As I was driving home through the storm, I began to feel a little overwhelmed. My hands were at 10 & 2 on the wheel and I began to revert to the small child within me wanting to knock on the door.
A little over a year ago I took a trip to John Muir Woods. This is a national forest located about 20 miles north of San Francisco. It was one of the most amazing places on earth. John Muir Woods features an entire colony of Redwood trees spanning a few hundred acres. Redwood trees are the tallest on earth. They can grow up to be over 360+ ft high and have a lifespan of 1100+ yrs. As I walked around this national park, pure amazement was an understatement of how I felt. I was with a friend and we caught up to a ranger tour telling all about the forest and its famous trees. As the ranger recited facts upon facts she mentioned a special niche that I will never forget. Redwood trees do not burn. As if I was astonished enough by the sheer size and height of these trees, the fact that they are naturally fireproof threw me for a loop. How is this possible I asked?? Redwood trees produce a chemical in their sap called tannin that makes their wood almost impossible to burn and immune to fire. Around the turn of the century loggers almost put these trees into extinction because of this amazing characteristic. A lumber that could stand up to any fire was priceless then as it is now. California Redwood trees were manufactured and shipped all over the world. Thankfully the government stepped in to protect the trees and preserve certain areas as national parks.
On the tour I had to ask another question about lightning and the trees. Being so tall, it would seem inevitable that a tree would get struck, and subsequently catch on fire? The ranger informed that the tree actually do get hit, but are immune to the fire once again. A little damage may occur, but overall they can survive any thunderstorm with out a fret of lighting.
At the end of the book of Job, God appears to Job and begins to explain to him the creation. God tells job how the mountains, trees, and all the animals that inhabit the earth were made. God explains the joys in making each item unique and special, and how this infinite wisdom was beyond our comprehension and understanding. I am sure that God made these redwood trees immune to fire just to keep things interesting! As I said before God must have a sense of humor as we try to figure out how this all got here!!
As my mind returned from a brief daydream and began to refocus on the road ahead, I felt once again connected to the creator. God made the Redwood trees just the same way you and I were made, special and unique. We all have fears. We all have danger about us. We are all also special in someway. Although I am pretty sure no one is fireproof, we all have been given special talents like no one else in the world. We all are our own little Redwood trees; we just have to find our niche!!
Tonight as I drove back from the airport I was marveled by a tremendous storm. Every 10 – 15 seconds, the sky would illuminate with electric bolts. Zeus was very angry tonight!! Last night over 20,000 bolts were recorded in the Central Florida area. As I was driving home through the storm, I began to feel a little overwhelmed. My hands were at 10 & 2 on the wheel and I began to revert to the small child within me wanting to knock on the door.
A little over a year ago I took a trip to John Muir Woods. This is a national forest located about 20 miles north of San Francisco. It was one of the most amazing places on earth. John Muir Woods features an entire colony of Redwood trees spanning a few hundred acres. Redwood trees are the tallest on earth. They can grow up to be over 360+ ft high and have a lifespan of 1100+ yrs. As I walked around this national park, pure amazement was an understatement of how I felt. I was with a friend and we caught up to a ranger tour telling all about the forest and its famous trees. As the ranger recited facts upon facts she mentioned a special niche that I will never forget. Redwood trees do not burn. As if I was astonished enough by the sheer size and height of these trees, the fact that they are naturally fireproof threw me for a loop. How is this possible I asked?? Redwood trees produce a chemical in their sap called tannin that makes their wood almost impossible to burn and immune to fire. Around the turn of the century loggers almost put these trees into extinction because of this amazing characteristic. A lumber that could stand up to any fire was priceless then as it is now. California Redwood trees were manufactured and shipped all over the world. Thankfully the government stepped in to protect the trees and preserve certain areas as national parks.
On the tour I had to ask another question about lightning and the trees. Being so tall, it would seem inevitable that a tree would get struck, and subsequently catch on fire? The ranger informed that the tree actually do get hit, but are immune to the fire once again. A little damage may occur, but overall they can survive any thunderstorm with out a fret of lighting.
At the end of the book of Job, God appears to Job and begins to explain to him the creation. God tells job how the mountains, trees, and all the animals that inhabit the earth were made. God explains the joys in making each item unique and special, and how this infinite wisdom was beyond our comprehension and understanding. I am sure that God made these redwood trees immune to fire just to keep things interesting! As I said before God must have a sense of humor as we try to figure out how this all got here!!
As my mind returned from a brief daydream and began to refocus on the road ahead, I felt once again connected to the creator. God made the Redwood trees just the same way you and I were made, special and unique. We all have fears. We all have danger about us. We are all also special in someway. Although I am pretty sure no one is fireproof, we all have been given special talents like no one else in the world. We all are our own little Redwood trees; we just have to find our niche!!
posted by O King at
1:34 AM
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