J.D. Retrieving Beneath the Oaks: Abundant, Growing, Small. May, 2011
More Than we can Use
Our neighborhood is adorned with magnificent oak trees. Quercus agrifolia, the Coast Live Oak, grows in our yard, our neighborhood, the state and national parklands nearby. They form an arcade over the country road that leads through Live Oak Canyon to our home.
The oaks are protected by law; once a young oak’s trunk reaches four inches in diameter, removing one requires special approval and permits. Thankfully no penalty results when one of these majestic trees lets go its roots’ grip in earth and falls, as happened in our yard a few months ago.
Tree-trimmers came and stripped away the limbs, cutting its massive, twisted trunk into logs. But its wood still lays in our yard. We’re looking for people who can use it. The tree was nearly 80 feet tall and spread across 40 feet. In our mild climate, I don’t believe we could burn that amount of firewood across our lifetimes.
We want to give away the wood.
Even as He has provided, and harvested for us, more wood than we can use, we are charged with stewardship of this bit of earth, and of the gifts God has placed upon it. So sometimes I must pull up the seedlings the oaks leave: left to grow where their acorns fall, the beauties would uproot the road, our walls, the water lines that lead to neighborhood homes.
Uprooted Oak Seedling (Acornling?). May, 2011.
We have enough oak trees. We are striving to give some away. And we’re given more.
The oaks remind me of God’s mysterious promise to us when we choose to give. We’re blessed to live amid these reminders of His grace and provision.
7 Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; 9 as it is written,
“HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR,
HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER.”
10 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; 11 you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.
2 Corinthian 9:7-11 (NASB)
We also live among the oak trees. There are times when we place a hand made sign at our front gate: "Free Fire Wood call Ph #"
Your post was beautifully written. We have and God gives us more – enough to share with others.
Thank you for your kind words.
Thank you, Sheila, for reminding us of His endless bounty. BTW … The proverb about acorns and oaks has been documented as far back as the 12th Century: "as an ook cometh of a litel spyr" (Chaucer). My favorite, though, is from the 16th century: "Large streams from little fountains flow, Tall oaks from little acorns grow." From an essay by D. Everett in The Columbian Orator. Your writing rates with the best. Isn't God's Creation wonderful.
Thanks for your kind words, Red. His Creation is indeed splendid!