Struggling for Survival: Awake Series, Part 6
"You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take
pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken
and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." (Ps 51:16-17 NIV)
Isn't it interesting that as you climb a tall mountain, the higher you go, the
shorter the trees become? The mighty tall trees are left behind in the valley,
while the curled up, dwarf ones reign on the top. Or if the mountain is high
enough, there aren't any trees at all on the top! The closer to Heaven we climb,
the less pretentious the world seems to become. There is no more, "I am better
than you" attitude. Only those who are broken in spirit are welcome here!
We experienced this at Whiteface Mountain, located in the Adirondack
mountains of upstate New York. As we neared the top, we reached a point where
the climate is so harsh, so cold and so windy, that there were no trees to be
seen. Welcome to the alpine zone (Not be confused with the Twilight zone!). The
plants at this altitude were all small, low-growing shrubs and non-flowering
herbs.
There is a tree, however, than can survive such a high altitude. In fact it is
the most abundant plant (Yes plant, not tree) on Whiteface: the tiny, itsy-bitsy
willow surnamed "Bearberry Willow". It is truly a willow, just like the majestic
drooping willow tree in my back yard, and it, too, grows a shimmering fuzzy
fruit similar to that of the pussy willow. This one isn't even called a tree,
however. It is small enough that it is termed "a plant". This plant can also be
found in the arctic tundra. No room for the high snobs of the willow society up
there!
A little bit below this alpine zone region, we noticed small Balsam Firs.
Imagine our surprise to learn that they were actually 50 to 100 years old. At
this age in the valley, such trees would normally rise up to 60 feet! Quite
unlike these dwarfs! The winds blowing through this pass have indeed stunted
their growth.
That wind is also the reason why there are hardly any branches on one side of
each tree. These, too, were stunted by the wind, and some were even killed as
they were growing. On the other side of these same trees however, where branches
are protected by the tree's trunk, they are able to grow normally.
If ever we would like to know which direction the wind comes from, all we need
to do is watch these trees. Not a bad trick!
Just like the tree trunk protects the branches, there is only One can
who can protect us
from the harsh elements of this world. He is the same One who can help guide us
in true humility!
"He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way." (Ps 25:9 NIV)
Hey, I can't even feel the cold harsh wind behind those tree trunks! And the
view from the top is so heavenly!
Rob Chaffart