Hoh...

Today, I have mostly recovered from my week at "church camp."  Something about my age and no sleep requires a few days of less than stellar thinking before I return to what some might argue is less than stellar thinking.  On this trip, my friend Tom told me about a trip he took to the Hoh rainforest in Oregon.  Trees grow in straight lines in this forest...a direct result of death.

You see, a tree falls in the forest (insert old joke here...).  Then the tree begins to rot.  Seedlings sprout in the decaying trunk and begin to grow on the top of the old tree.  The roots of the massive trees spread over the trunk, which then finishes decaying, all the time fertilizing the young  trees and helping them grow strong and straight.  Mature trees have an odd look, however...the roots start well above ground and have clear space under the trees.  (Click here for a great picture of this.)

You always wonder if you are making a difference in the world, especially when you work with children and youth.  You certainly can't always see the impact you have.  But when I think back on those saints who nurtured me, they have most certainly shaped who I am.  I have roots that grow in a Mrs. Parker shape, in a Mrs. Diehl shape, in grandmother and grandaddy shapes.  I have roots that grow in bus ministry shapes and youth trip shapes.  None of those people or things still exist in my life, but they have shaped who I am.

I think the Hoh rainforest is going to be on my bucket list--a place where all people can actually see the impact of generations which have gone before...