I have been in the middle of stories about trees for the past month or so. To start with, we have a Maple tree in our front yard that has struggled since we moved in 5-1/2 years ago. Somewhere along the line, insects starting eating away at the trunk and we have spared no expense trying to save the tree. It may have been easier to replace it in the beginning but Janet and I have always tried to save trees and plants by supplying them with nutrients and hoping that they can survive. Time will tell but right now the jury is still out.
On a larger scale, I happen to be the President of our neighborhood association and one of the main things we deal with is the health of the neighborhood stand of trees. We have more than 1000 trees to take care off in three neighborhoods. One area has Maple trees in the parkways, the second area is populated by Ash trees and the third neighborhood has Oak trees. With the Ash borers being such a problem infecting so many trees, we have spent huge amounts of money treating our 300 Ash trees and they are still healthy.
But it has been a constant battle to make sure that we can save our trees. In fact, we have some of the most beautiful neighborhood trees of any community in Carmel and people actually move here because of the beauty of our neighborhoods. This morning, I actually attended a meeting with the city to discuss our tree program and how we can support the community with our best practices.
On an even larger scale, the news is filled with reports about fires in the rain forests in South America. The devastation is so severe and the fires so intense that the damage is visible from space! And what surprised me even more is the fact that I heard that the trees in trouble supply 20% of the oxygen that we use on earth. In other words, when we exhale carbon dioxide, the trees use our by-products and use it to grow. Their by-product is oxygen which helps us continue the circle of life on earth. In the extreme, trees make it possible for us to exist on the earth.
And if the forests are destroyed beyond repair, life on earth as we know it is in jeopardy. Isn’t it remarkable how God created an eco system that allows both trees and humans to co-exist and provide each other with the building blocks of life?
By the way, don’t forget that God even put trees in the Garden of Eden and after He created Adam, He placed him him in the Garden. The original sin that separated God from Mankind was the result of eating forbidden fruit from a tree!
Our verse for this evening is from Gen. 2:9, “And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” My encouragement tonight is that God thought of everything when He created the heavens and the earth – the perfect “nest” for us. My prayer is that the rain forests will be salvaged and that God will continue to bless His creation. Furthermore, that we will all take a little time to realize how important trees are to us – not only beautiful to look at, but an important part for the survival of the earth! Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…