GROWING STRONGER BY THE STORM

Anita and I took a 24-hour vacation in Seattle for Valentine’s Day. We stayed in a nice hotel, where all the rooms surround a beautiful five-story atrium. There are koi pods set among lots of tropical trees and plants. I took note of the trees and larger plants, mostly because several of the trees were over 20 feet tall. When I noticed that some of the plants had to be supported by bamboo poles, I started thinking about the differences between plants growing in natural, tropical environments compared those growing in artificial conditions. In the artificial conditions of the hotel atrium, there were definitely some of the plants which didn’t have the natural strength to support their own weight, which was why there was bamboo or wooden poles propping them up. 

One of the conditions lacking in the atrium is wind. At one point, outside the hotel there were 40 mph winds and heavy rain coming down. In the atrium it was 70 degrees and completely calm. I was very happy to be inside! In some ways, it would be nice to live our whole lives in a bubble [atrium}, where the conditions are always perfect. Then again, how can the conditions be perfect in an atrium if you have to props to keep you upright?

Into every life the winds of adversity will blow. Sometimes the strength of the storm is nearly overwhelming.  If you’re a tree, the wind doesn’t make you weak, though it may reveal weaknesses. Last night the wind brought down a tree on I-5, jamming the freeway. I haven’t heard the details, but it’s likely the tree was diseased. Wind does make trees stronger. In places where the winds are harshest, the limbs are naturally pruned to the point the tree can remain steadfast during the most severe storms. 

On multiple occasions, I have been privileged to visit the 17-mile drive near Carmel, California.  If you’ve never been there, it is a “must see” when you’re in the area, with stunning multi-million dollar homes, majestic ocean vistas and world-class golf courses among the sights. At the Cypress Point vista there is a single cypress tree which sits out on the point. Just Google “lone cypress” and “Pebble Beach” and you’ll see what I mean. The Lone Cypress has endured severe Pacific storms, packing hurricane-force winds for 250 years (estimated).  For me, the Lone Cypress stands as a symbol of strength. 

Life doesn’t offer us the option of living out our existence in an artificial environment. We have to live where the wind blows and the rain falls. When the storm passes (and they do pass!) we may be missing a few branches and you may have to prop us up a little, but we’re growing stronger by the storm. There is a strength being developed in our spiritual heart which will serve us well in the future.

"Strong people are made by opposition like kites that go up against the wind." *Frank Harris