In 2007, our sprawling family trampled onto the boardwalk and into the thick of the Florida woods of Big Tree Park. We swatted mosquitoes and dodged low-hanging palmetto fronds. At the very end of the trail, towered a wonder to behold—The Senator, one of the oldest Bald Cypress trees in the world.
And, by old I mean B.C. (before the birth of Christ) on a historical timeline . Through the process of coring, a sample of the tree's rings was taken, dating the Senator to be about 3500 years old. Over millenia, the tree grew, adding new rings to its trunk.
Before Florida became a tourist's paradise and one of the top states people move to, the Seminole Indians used this 160 foot high cypress tree as a landmark to find their way through swamps and endless palmettos and pine trees. They hid from U.S. soldiers who intended to capture and transport them to reservations outside the state. The Seminoles found refuge in the Everglades and eventually were granted six reservations in Florida.
In the nineteenth century, this cypress became the beloved Senator of Big Tree Park. A devastating hurricane hit Florida in 1925. In the fierce winds, a large portion of the top snapped off, reducing it to a height of 126 feet.
Tragically, on January 16, 2012, the Senator's life was cut short by the careless actions of a young woman who that evening, set it ablaze. The tree burned from the outside-in, billowing smoke like a chimney.
When I heard the news, my heart sank. A tree of that size and age is not something that can just be replanted. It's gone, along with all it's rings of ancient history. Vanished in a puff of smoke.
Life can be so short. Especially in light of eternity. Will we live by faith or by sight, in our few tree rings of the here and now?
May the short span of our lives be lived in a way pleasing to God, in light of His gloryand grace, for the endless rings of eternity are in His hands. He makes even the smallest grain of faith grow into a mighty tree, displaying His faithfulness for all to see (Isaiah 61:1-4).
"Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12, a prayer of Moses)."
