After a long, long winding drive we made it to the Kings Canyon visitor center. Then, just a short drive from there was the trailhead for the General Sherman Tree, a.k.a. “The Nation’s Christmas Tree” (named that by President Calvin Coolidge after he heard a little girl say it would make a great Christmas tree).
We learned from a ranger talk that Sequoias have shallow, but wide reaching roots and they intertwine their roots with the roots of other trees which is what helps them stand for so long. (I had heard that before as an illustration about how when we work together we are stronger, but I wasn’t sure if it was true... it seemed hard to believe that such large trees could have such shallow roots, but apparently it’s true!) We also learned that Sequoias need fires in order to be “born.” It’s the fires that cause the acorns to open up and release the seeds. Reminds me of the Romans 8:28 Bible verse that says, “God works together all things for the good of those who love Him.” Even seemingly bad things, like a fire, can be used for a good a good purpose (to give birth to new things). I was also surprised to see how tiny the acorn of a Sequoia is... it’s incredible that such a large tree starts off as something so small! (I can see another spiritual analogy there.) There’s a lot we can learn from these Sequoia trees! (And nature in general.)
Next we stumbled upon Hume Lake, which to my surprise is a Christian Camp center. The grounds were beautiful and they had Bible verses posted everywhere. I had to stop and take a picture with the sign for Psalm 100 “The Lord is good (His faithful love endures forever”). I love that song that says, “I’ve seen joy & I’ve seen pain, but You have been my God through it all.” That pretty much sums up my experience with God... through it all, He’s always been there with me, even when I couldn’t feel it. He is good and His love is faithful.
We hung out in Sandy Cove, one of the beaches near Hume Lake. It was beautiful... there were gold flakes in the sand that make the water sparkle brightly when the sun shined down on it. Another little piece of heaven on earth!
Then, it was time to make the long drive home. We stopped at a little local market to pick up some things to make a farewell dinner back at the girl’s Airbnb. We were all exhausted from an incredible week together, but our hearts were full! We decided that we’re going to try to make this friend’s trip an annual tradition. I pray it will be possible!