There has been a drought in my area. We had mandatory water restrictions that told us how often and what time of day we could water our yards and hand wash our cars at home. Restaurants couldn’t serve water unless requested. Swimming pools could only be refilled under certain conditions. Along with record breaking heat, the drought severely affected the flora of the area.
There is a small forest near my home that I walk through several times a week. It’s full of tall evergreen and deciduous trees. Many of those trees have died because of the drought. However, not all of them have died and the dead trees aren’t all in the same place.
Why do some trees survive a drought and not others? One obvious reason is water. None of the trees in my yard died because they got water once or twice a week. They aren’t flourishing, but they are alive. Other reasons for survival include:
- Type of tree (virtually all the dead trees in my forest are the same kind)
- Age of tree (older trees survive better than younger trees)
- The ability to keep producing food (or glucose)
- Deep roots (which provide the ability to produce food longer)
- The water reserves within the tree
Can you keep producing food, both spiritually and temporally?
Are your roots deep? When a drought comes, it’s too late to send roots deeper. The wise man was able to build a storm-resistant house because he “digged deep” (Luke 6:48). The trees that survive have deep roots.
How are your “water” reserves? Do you have oil in your spiritual lamp and food in your pantry?
What if your circumstances make it difficult to send your roots deep both spiritually and temporally? Surround yourself with those who do. One research scientist “plans to test whether a more diverse forest could help drought-sensitive species…survive. Deep-rooted [trees] interspersed with [shallow-rooted species] might help increase moisture in the soil’s upper levels by wicking water up to where [the shallow] roots are,” thus helping them survive. When you have done all you can, those you surround yourself with may be able to help you survive.
Do what you can now to survive the droughts in your life. Send down deep roots and build reserves.
References:
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/ultrasound-trees-drought-survival-secrets
https://forestsociety.org/something-wild/what-happens-trees-drought
