Sequoia || Winter
I like to play this game every year called “how long can I make it without wearing a winter coat.” I’ll wear a sweatshirt of light jacket well into the twenties. It’s my way of rebelling against the winter. Eventually, winter always wins. At some point, the Carhart goes on, gloves and hat are worn, and scarf is draped. Perfect fall weather will always give way to winter.
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We like to talk about seasons. It’s morphed into this “Christianese” catch phrase - a season of waiting, a season of prayer, etc. It’s a good metaphor for life. But the world around me growing up has always had connotations to each season - spring brings life (yay), summer brings growth and warmth (yay), fall brings harvest (yay), but winter...winter brings death (boo).
Winter is yucky. Winter isn’t the white snow on top the trees, winter is the black slush on the freeway after thousands have driven over it. You want to be in any season BUT winter.
What I understood from the world around me was, if you identify as being in the winter something is wrong with you. You’re “going through” something. You “have” to be depressed or in the darkness. Winter is no good.
But then over a month ago, I heard about the sequoia tree.
The sequoia tree can grow to over 300 feet!
But, they need winter to grow.
Sequoia trees require more water than any other species on Earth. That’s species people...not just more than any other tree or any other plant...that is more than any other species
on the planet! Snowpack provides thousands of gallons of water to the sequoia during the winter. The sequoia literally NEEDS winter.
Winter comes every year...winter doesn’t last forever.
(source)
Life inevitably has a winter. But if you go into the winter prepared - like actually putting your coat on you will survive.
So I’ve been studying the winter:
In the winter everything feels dormant. It seems like the world stops and falls asleep. Even the sun seems to be sleeping - leave for work in the darkness and come home in the darkness.
But…
We know the winter nature is still awake and working -
Trees are soaking in the water from the snow for new blossoms in the spring.
Animals that are hibernating (like polar bears) are preparing to give birth.
The sun will stay up longer when it’s warmer and we can be outside - the sun will rise again.
[excerpt from 12/27/19 journal]
This is what the world around me has felt like for a few years. I’ve been in the winter. In this season, yes, I have been depressed and anxious. I’ve been in darkness. But the past year hasn’t been bad - I’m just still in the winter (I mean if it went from -10 to 50 degrees in real life, I wouldn’t complain, but that’s not what happens).
From this I could only conclude:
If nature feels dormant, but is really working, then isn’t God too?...
Maybe He’s using the “snow” to bring us nutrients in our winter for future blossoms.
Maybe He’s hibernating to bring us new life.
Maybe He’s saving the sun for longer, warmer days.
[excerpt from 12/27/19 journal]
So where am I going with all of this? Well, I’m part of “that” group of people who pick a word for the year.
The entries from the last month have made the word so clear for 2020 - where God is leading me. It was so clear it felt “too obvious,” that I almost threw it out the window. Other years the word has been a verb or an actionable noun - peace, purpose, revitalize. But this year is different. Difference isn’t “bad” nor does it mean the past was “bad” or “wrong.” It’s just different.
2020...the year of the sequoia.
The sequoia of 2020 isn’t a seed just planted nor a seedling starting the bloom. It’s established. It has many branches and far-reaching roots. It has grown tall and covered much ground.
However, it’s in the winter and fires. That’s where 2020 begins. Hell, maybe it’s where 2020 will end too - who knows.
[excerpt from 1/6/2020 journal]
2020 - the year of the sequoia.
The sequoia isn’t done...we’ve only just begun.
