From Acorns Come Mighty Oaks!

"Faith sees a beautiful blossom in a bulb, a lovely garden in a seed, and a giant oak in an acorn." - William Arthur Ward

Driving into the driveway this afternoon, I felt/heard a familiar sound underneath the car tires.  That sound would be hundreds or even thousands of acorns being crushed.  Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop.  The live oak trees are dropping them by the thousands, and they cover almost every square inch of ground in various stages, from bright green to dark brown in color.

When we're in the barn milking the cows, the acorns fall and hit the tin roof of the barn, making a loud bang, startling us, but not the cows.  They are too busy eating. The acorns are gathered up by the numerous squirrels in our yard and eaten and/or buried in the ground.  In the spring, Tricia pulls a bunch of live oak seedlings out of the flower beds.  I'll generally replant some healthy live oak seedlings into pots to grow some live oak trees to replant.

Usually, though, I'll forget to water them in the summer and many of the young live oaks in my little gallon pots die due to my neglect.  As I walk across the yard this time every year, I am amazed at the power contained in those little acorns.  From just a small seed, a giant oak emerges that lasts for generations.  If those oaks could talk, oh the stories they could tell!

We live in a world where you get most anything immediately.  Everything is convenient.  Just drive through the drive-thru window and pick up your fried chicken, prescriptions, doughnuts, etc.  Drive up to the ATM and get your cash. You don't have to wait for anything.  All of our desires can be met immediately and this drives us to want and consume more and more.

You still have to wait, however, for a stately oak tree to grow.  Mature live oak trees aren't something that grows overnight.  It all begins with an acorn.  That tiny acorn holds the potential of such immense beauty and strength.  To me the wonder of the acorn points to our Great Creator.

Here is the beautiful crown of a live oak in our backyard.  All of this came from a tiny acorn!

Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.  -Genesis 13:18

God created these mighty trees and they stand, sometimes for ages!  The photo below is a picture that is believed to be the Oak of Mamre mentioned in Genesis 13:18 and is near Hebron in the Palestinian territories.  Many believe the tree is where Abram entertained the three angels in Genesis 18:2 and think this tree is around 5,000 years old.  The main trunk of the tree is dead, but a shoot sprouted off of it and now grows.

Permanence.  Stability.  Strength!

"Oak of Mamre 1" by Copper Kettle

I found a few facts from THIS LINK about acorns and live oaks that were very interesting to me:

• An average 100 year old oak produces 2,200 acorns a year.  (Seems low considering the amount of acorns on the ground, but I'm sure our trees are a lot older than 100 years.)
• Only 1 acorn in 10,000 will grow up to be an oak tree.  (The survival rate goes down considerably if one of those was one I planted in a pot!)
• The USS Constitution was made out of lumber from a live oak tree.  This vessel became famous in the War of 1812 after canonballs bounced off of its hull.  That's why they called it "Old Ironsides".
• The "Seven Sisters Oak" in Lewisburg-Mandeville, Louisiana is believed to be the oldest living live oak in North America.  It measures 37 feet, 2 inches in circumference and is believed to be over 1,000 years old!

They say big things come in small packages sometimes.  This is certainly true of the acorn!