Violet's Grove
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 New International Version (NIV)
9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
10 If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
They can weigh over a million pounds and can reach heights of over 300 feet. Many have been on the earth for over a thousand years. Yet the secret to the strength of a redwood tree is not in their height or width. The real secret is found just five or six feet below the soil. In a shallow root system not far below the surface we would find roots extending up to one hundred feet. This wide root system intertwines and fuses together with the roots of other redwoods forming a solid foundation for the entire grove.
Each summer, my grandma, Violet Hill, would pack me into her motor home and drive me up the coast of California. Our destination was our church week long family camp in a redwood grove. My friends and I would race through the groves and stand in amazement marveling at the massive heights of the redwoods. Throughout all those years, I never once thought to marvel at what was taking place just below the surface.
Redwood groves are a symbol of the power of community. People come from all over the world to view these majestic giants. Yet most don’t realize what allows them to grow to these massive heights
God loves us and did not leave us to fight our battles alone on this earth. In Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 we are encouraged to find strength by connecting to God and others. It is easy to find ourselves retreating into a world of isolationism. On my most difficult days of grief, I found myself avoiding phone calls and staying away from social situations. These verses remind us of the strength found in unity. Connecting first with God and then with others provides us an opportunity to rise up stronger together. Just as the mighty redwoods rise from a foundation of intertwined roots, we too can rise up again by connecting with God and others.
