Family Circles

I spent Labor Day visiting our eldest son and his family in the Bay Area. They are in the process of buying a home in Redwood City. As a group, we went to take a tour of the home, and lo and behold, we found an actual redwood tree growing in the backyard!

Most mysteriously, we also found a wreath of seedlings sprouting up around its base. It’s quite beautiful, but after a Google search, we discovered it’s actually a sign of the tree’s stress. You see, redwoods prepare for the next generation. What we saw was the beginning of a “family circle” of redwoods. As the tree declines, genetic clones sprout up from its roots to take its place. Over time, these clones grow into tall trees that form the famous circles around the spot where the original tree once stood.

This Sunday, the second devotional email for the Season of Creation will arrive in your inbox. Akiko Tamano beautifully reflects on coast live oaks. She shares how the older oaks nurture the younger oaks in a myriad of ways, and what this means to her in community at St. Bart’s. I was able to read a preview of her work. What a coincidence (if there are such things) that I had witnessed a similar phenomenon just the day before.

They say that if Earth’s existence could be compressed into a 24-hour day, humans would arrive a couple seconds before midnight. What is God’s long-standing creation showing us? For me, these trees show that we are meant to live life encircled by those we nurture and who will bear witness to our lives. I promise, you will find that “family circle” at St. Bart’s. In fact, “encircling” is one of the many things we do best. Step inside and see.

Mother Nina+