Sometimes, often times, we only have surface level understandings. 
We have no idea what may be happening in someone else’s life.

It makes me think of deciduous trees in winter (those trees that shed their leaves with the changing of the seasons).  On the surface, these trees can look rather sad come December.  Seemingly no buds waiting to burst forth.  No more leaves changing color and gently falling to the Earth below.  Deciduous trees with their bare branches sometimes covered in snow and sometimes just plain bare can look rather stark in the bleak midwinter.

But below the surface? 

Adaptations have helped these trees survive.  Deciduous trees are right now entering periods of rest similar to hibernation.  Dormancy begins in the fall and trees are resting, saving up their energy. 

As the temperatures fall, trees are producing a stress hormone called abscisic acid.  This acid is closing the connections between the leaves and stems, to slow the flow of water and nutrients.  Trees are slowing their own metabolisms and growth rates to conserve sugar for the long winter ahead. 

The sugar found within helps trees maintain the health of their roots and other internal structures. The sugar even acts like antifreeze to help protect the trees during those especially bad cold snaps.  And underneath the surface?  Tree roots are active, searching for water and nutrients to help the tree survive not just now, but grow new leaves and flowers come spring.**

What resilience! 
What hope! 
And if trees have this many complex processes happening below the surface, what might that also say about people?  
Just something to think about this week.

Love,
Pastor Lauren 

**Andrew Moore, “How Trees Survive in Winter,” NC State College of Natural Resources News, February 15, 2024, https://cnr.ncsu.edu/news/2024/02/how-trees-survive-in-winter/

Photo by Simon Berger on Unsplash

Thursday Thoughts 12/5/24