A Lodgepole Pine

Yellowstone National Park posted a picture to their Instagram account earlier today. They are enduring some pretty intense wildfires tearing through the southern portion of the park.

Commenters have been giving YNP grief because the fires are allowed to scorch the land as the fire sees fit. It marches its way along and the only 'interference' the humans do is protect buildings and evacuate humans. The fire is king. It was started naturally and naturally it shall burn.

There is this intricate cycle in nature and in life.
A balance.
Testing and beauty.
You can't have true beauty without the testing.

Today's fire update: slight growth on all fires and Yellowstone's south entrance remains closed. Full report on the blog at go.nps.gov/YellFireBlog. In this shot, the cone from a lodgepole pine opened by the Maple Fire: these trees require fire in order to disperse their seeds.

(Caption and photo from Yellowstone National Park)

"These trees require fire in order to disperse their seeds."

Oil prices have finally caught up to my family. It is rough. Lots of sleepless nights, lots and lots of praying and seeking and listening and crying. I don't say this to have you feel sorry for us, in fact, I sat staring at that cone for 30 minutes trying to figure out how to show my heart without sounding whiny. Those that know me and my heart know I don't whine. I hate whiny.

Matt said the other night, "I prayed that it was enough that we learned whatever we needed to learn."

I had been thinking the same thing, like this was some sort of Jesus lesson.

I replied, "I'm not sure that is it. I feel like we needed to go through this because He has somewhere He needs to get us and it took this to get us there." Not in a punishment sort of way but in a 'usage' sort of way. The fire isn't punishment on the land but the land uses it to make it better.

We have no idea what is happening but I saw this picture on Instagram and burst into tears. The fire is needed. Without the fire there is no new growth.

Fire is painful and destroys a lot but if I am a lodgepole pine, amazing things come after the flames.

Today I am a lodgepole pine and soon there will be beauty from the flames.

Beauty from Ashes.