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Where I’m from in the sand hill region of SC, the soil is almost 100% sand. It is believed that waves of the Atlantic Ocean once extended quite inland from where the beaches are today, building dunes and depositing sand along the area we now call the sand hills. In the woods near my house as kids we would dog deep foxholes and caves, and only ever encounter sand, except for a few streaks of white clay. The sandy soil of course doesn’t hold water very well, so even though the region receives a fair bit of rain, the environment overall is somewhat arid. Back before everything was logged and developed, brush fires were common in the sand hills. The most beautiful and stately tree of the sand hills is the Long Leaf Pine Tree, noted for its huge pine cones, long needles, and long horizontal limbs. A Long Leaf Pine seed pop out of the cone, be carried off by the wind, and, if conditions are just right, will sprout. The young Long Leaf Pine Tree is not very impressive. The growing tree will just sit there on the ground for several years – nothing but a clump of long green pine needles. Why does it do this? It does this because it is investing its energy in growing a tap root way deep down into the sand. Why? So that if there’s a fire, though the clump of needles may well burn off, the root, reaching deep down into the moist sand far below, will live. With this deep foundation established, the top will grow back. Then, after five or six or seven years, when the root is sufficiently deep and able to draw upon water far below, a young tree will shoot up very fast, so that now, if there is a fire, the top of the young tree will not die back at all, and the young trunk, though charred, will survive, and will grow into a great and beautiful and unique tree. Christian discipleship works in a similar fashion. By growing downward in humility and service to others, after the manner of Jesus, who emptied himself for us, the disciple of Jesus invests his energies in that which will produce the most beautiful fruit for the kingdom. This is the path to greatness as a Christian. Unwittingly the disciple, though digging his root into the soil of humble service of others, is becoming a great tree, a beautiful and enduring work of Christ. (1 Peter 5:6) Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. |
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