So as most of you know... I was away for a long weekend. What a gorgeously wonderful time. I will be sharing more and more about this time away as I go along.

I did promise to keep writing whilst I was away. . . and to post the blogs once I had returned. I am keeping that promise. . . I do know that I am more of a novelist than a blogger. So I am trying my hardest to keep these blogs shorter. They will be of things that stood out to me or struck me whilst away. [not literally, though some of those tree branches came mighty close.]

This picture below is a prime example of something that stood out to me.

I know that it looks a little obscure, so let me explain it to you. This is the wreckage/ruins of a giant tree that feel in the forest. It apparently was a truly awesome specimen. . . then the gangster of the forest, known as the strangling fig tree, shot out a small branch, and a root and slowly but surely grew off and around the original tree till it had drained it completely of its life. The original tree decayed and died, but the fig tree continued to thrive. [a bit like bitterness does in our own lives - deep food for thought dropped in on a blog unexpectedly.]

These strangler figs can be massive. . . as the picture below allows you to glimpse.

This tree in the first photo, as I said, was completely encased by the strangler fig, until it died. My uncle told me that you could climb inside the tree, as most of it was broken and decayed and left the inside hollow...and use the encasing of the strangler fig as a ladder/footholds and climb up inside the tree. But eventually the day came when the entire two trees, the dead one and the murderer fell to the ground with a mighty crash. [apparently big trees are very noisy when they fall...negating the theory that if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, that it wont make a sound.]

So it seemed like death. The strangler fig had slowly but surely taken over and killed the original tree - nature can be VERY brutal. . . then both had fallen to the ground. . . toppled over...finished. . . yet the story doesn't end there. . . because out of that death and decay a new tree is growing. [that is actually what the first photo is showing you.] From the inside of the decay roots and trunks of two dead trees a brand new tree is fighting its way up towards the light, new life is coming out of death. 

it reminded me so strongly of the scripture in 1 Cor 15 

When you put a seed into the ground, it doesn’t grow into a plant unless it dies first.

We, as finite beings, always see death [literal death, or death or a dream/goal/relationship/purpose etc] as definite and conclusive. . . But we forget that we serve the infinite God....and in His story book, death is never the end. . . death never has the last word. . . so take heart, no matter the situation.