3 Tips for Strong Growth in Adversity from Bristlecone Pines
Several years ago I went on a hike with my family in Great Basin National Park to see the Bristlecone Pine trees. What I learned about these trees helped me see more clearly how we can all stay strong during times of adversity.
Episode Discussion Points
How we visited in October 2019 in Great Basin National Park, and Nathan wasn’t very happy about hiking in the snow.
As we approached the grove of Bristlecone Pines I was amazed by what I learned reading the placards about these ancient and resilient trees.
Facts About Bristlecone Pines
Some Bristlecone Pines can live nearly 5,000 years and are the oldest living things on our planet.
Most of these pine trees have been alive 3,000 to 5,000 years. Imagine them clinging to rocks when the Romans, Jesus Christ, Cleopatra and the construction of the pyramids.
The species are native to the Rocky Mountains and other ranges of the southwestern United States.
The usually grow at elevations above 5,500 feet and up to 11,200 feet.
We went and saw the Great Basin Bristlecone pines at their high elevationspiral out from seemingly impossible soil of limestone rock
Bristlecone pines in Great Basin National Park grow in isolated groves just below the tree-line. The conditions in which they live are harsh (with temperatures that drop well below freezing), a short growing season, and high winds that twist the trees into almost human-like forms along their limestone ridges. Because of these conditions Bristlecone Pine grow very slowly, and in some years do not even add a ring of growth.
Often they twist into gnarly shapes which makes them very strong and they stay standing for centuries even after the tree dies.
The Bristlecone Pines grow in rugged conditions in the high mountains and in the middle of desert valleys.
They have an unusual ability to adapt to their environments
They can also live in isolation where other species cannot survive
3 Tips for Strong Growth in Adversity
1. Grow Slow, be patient, wait on God
Slow down in times of adversity, so you can process change, make time to absorb God’s goodness into circumstance and be able to grow strong—producing the resin needed to resist the adversary who wants you to decay.
The bristlecone pine is the world's slowest-growing tree
One tree (which was still alive) had a sample of its core removed which dated back to 1126 BC!!!!
Nutrients are scarce, slow-and-steady approach to growth,
Example: Hollow Tree: different tree which is about 2000 years old,
Grew too fast which made its center more subject to decay—and the tree’s center rotted
But the tree is still alive in its outer rings—being more wise and slow as it has aged.
Related Bible Verses About Slowing Down in Adversity
Isaiah 40:31 “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
James 5:7-8 “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.”
2. Adapt to Adversity: Stronger in Christ
Freezing, harsh, remote conditions can make you grow strong and stand the test of time.
The environment’s combo of tough conditions—especially freezing temperatures, dry soils, high winds, and short growing seasons—makes them resilient.
This slow growth rate makes the wood dense and heavy, which helps to ward off insects, fungi, rot, and weathering.
Re: Adversity—The Bristlecone Pine’s “ability to stand for centuries after death is directly related to the adversity of its life.”
Remain standing for thousands of years after they die.
They can survive in these harsh environments by storing water in their thick needles and roots.
Bible Verses About Becoming Resilient During Adversity
How do we become resilient in adversity as described in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;”
Tip from Paul 2 Corinthians 12:9 – “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
3. Prune back the unnecessary
Sometimes during times of hardship, we need to prune things from our lives and focus on the basics.
Many pines rely on a single tap root and utilize shallow just-below-the-surface roots to chase cracks in soil and sniff out water spots to send nutrients upward. Bristlecones do this, too; they just do it in a hardier way, in far tougher soil.
Even after a lifetime of endurance, they can slowly start to shut off flow to outer limbs and hold on to the most viable living tissue, for centuries upon centuries, which is part of why they erode into the wild shapes they are known for—and can continue to, after they actually die.
Often they will die in portions. As the roots become exposed they will dry out and die. The tree directly connected above those roots will eventually die as well.
The remainder of the tree will continue to live.
Get my Not to Do List to figure out what you can eliminate from your life here.
Bible Verses About Pruning
John 15:2 “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven . . . a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
Good Questions to Ask
What are the basics you need to focus on?
What do you need to prune?
Religious leader Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, “It is good advice to slow down a little, steady the course, and focus on the essentials when experiencing adverse conditions.”
Invitation
Go to God and
Ask Him what you need to focus on during adversity?
What do I need to prune?
Then act on the inspiration He gives you.
#tamarakanderson #storiesofhopeinhardtimes #podcast #hope #God #hardtimes #adversity #tipsforadversity #JesusChrist BibleVerses #BristleconePines #Resilience
Transcription
You can find the transcription of today's episode here: Tamara Anderson 0:03
How do you handle hard times? What about when it's really hard and you feel like it's been winter and you've been on top of a mountain maybe frozen to death, like, for years, you're like, dear Lord, what is going on here? I don't know about you. But those are the hard times and I wanted to share with you some tips that I learned from Bristlecone pines at a 10,000 foot level on a mountain several years ago and how that applies to adversity. Stay tuned.
Tamara Anderson 0:41
Welcome to Stories of Hope in Hard Times, the show that explores how people endure and even thrive in difficult times, all with God's help. I'm your host Tamara K Anderson. Join me on a journey to find inspiring stories of hope and wisdom learned in life's hardest moments.
Tamara Anderson 1:06
Hello, and welcome to another episode of Tamara's Takeaways on the Stories of Hope in Hard Times podcast. I'm your host, Tamara K Anderson, and I'm so excited to talk to you today. So I want to take you back to 2019. So this is pre pandemic, and it was fall break for our family. So we're talking October 2019. And our family happened to go to the Great Basin National Park. And one of the hikes a Great Basin National Park, we noticed was a little bit up hill and it took us to a place where they had Bristlecone pines. And I had never heard of those before.
Tamara Anderson 1:49
But, you know, we were together and we decided we were going to take this hike. One of the challenges with hiking with Nathan, and his autism is sometimes he goes happily and sometimes he goes on happily. So we knew we were going to be hiking at a higher elevation. And so we put on our big winter coats had good shoes with traction on and we started this uphill climb. There was snow on the trail.
Tamara Anderson 2:17
We were all bundled up and Nathan was not very happy with us. which sometimes happens. And so we're trudging upward and he's yelling at us no Hi, no hike, which is so indicative of life in general. Sometimes you're going on along the path in life and you're like, I don't want to be doing this right. And he was just expressing what some of us were thinking at that point going, why are we doing this hike? What are we it's not very fun when Nathan's yelling at us. So I often on those moments, just pray that we don't disturb the people around us too much. And thank goodness we there weren't a lot of people doing this hike at this point. They probably do it more in the summertime, when it's not quite as cold.
Tamara Anderson 3:05
So we get up to this beautiful area where these ginormous Bristlecone pines are, and they tend to be more wide. And they can be very, very thick, several feet thick. And some of the cool things I learned about Bristlecone pines have really taught me some key lessons on how to deal with adversity.
Tamara Anderson 3:32
So first, let me tell you a little bit about these amazing pine trees. They can live to be over 5000 years old. So we're talking about like, length of time that comparable and even beyond the Giant Sequoias and redwoods. So you look at some of these pines and some of them have been living 3000 5000 years old. So think, you know they were alive during the time, the Romans, Jesus Christ, they were alive way before the pyramids were built in ancient Egypt just to kind of wrap your brain around how long these trees have been alive. And you might be going, Well what makes them be able to live so long.
Tamara Anderson 4:14
And we're going to talk a little bit about that. But let me tell you a couple of other cool things about that, that kind of plays into why they live so long. So these pine trees generally live at elevations above thought 5000 feet to about 11,000 feet, and you can usually find them in the Rocky Mountains of the United States. And they seem to always grow in super harsh conditions. And what I mean by that is, for example the pine trees we were looking at there on this trail. We're growing out of limestone rock and growing out of rock for a tree isn't the most ideal conditions, they they live on these mountaintops, they're covered by snow every winter. And some years, they hardly get enough nutrition and water to even add a growth ring on their trees.
Tamara Anderson 5:16
So what's cool about these trees as they have been able to learn to adapt to this really harsh environment, and perhaps where other trees cannot grow. And so as I pondered these amazing trees, and one of the cool things I've got to tell you about these trees, is that even after they die, they they take such careful care in growing, that even after they die, the wood of the tree remains standing for 1000s and 1000s of years, even after they die, because they they grow so well.
Tamara Anderson 5:59
And so I was just fascinated as I kind of watch through this grove of trees and read about what made them grow so well, that I was able to kind of start thinking then I need to do a podcast on this because it is fascinating to me that these trees can grow and live for so long. And, and I wanted to know what makes them grow and live so long in these harsh and harsh conditions, because maybe they'll give me some tips of how I can grow well, and grow strong, even in the hard times of my life.
Tamara Anderson 6:33
So I wanted to share with you three things that I learned from these Bristlecone pines that I think really apply to us in our daily lives as we encounter adversity. The first thing that I wanted to share with you is they grow slowly, very, very slowly. In fact, they're the world's slowest growing tree. And, in fact, one tree that is still alive today had a sample core kind of gotten out of the middle of it, and it dated back to 1126 BC. So super slow. And what I've kind of taken from this is that it's okay to slow down in times that of adversity so that you can process change so that you can take time to absorb nutrients, these trees are very good at kind of breaking the ground apart, finding nutrients where they can, and taking the time to slowly absorb them.
Tamara Anderson 7:40
Another thing that is really cool about these trees, is that as they grow slow, they produce this resin that they use to kind of insulate themselves from decay from insects, it kind of protects the tree. And as I was thinking about that, I thought, Wow, maybe slowing down and and bringing nutrients into ourselves, spiritually speaking, is one of the keys to insulating ourselves from the adversary. We live in a world where everything is Go, go, go, go go fast, fast, fast, fast, fast. And that's not always the right answer. Especially when we're in a hard time.
Tamara Anderson 8:33
In hard times, it's often best to kind of scale back, slow down, focus on doing the things that we really need to do. And that helps us prevent Satan and his attacks from really getting in and destroying us. There was one tree in particular, as we were going through this grove of Bristlecone pines that I wanted to share with you a little about it. They call it the hollow tree. And what is really cool about this hollow tree is it's 2000 years old, and the very center of it grew too fast. And because it grew too fast, the very center of it had decayed, and was completely gone.
Tamara Anderson 9:18
But it's like the tree grew wiser as it took so long to grow. And the outside of the tree. That outer rings were still growing and growing strong because it realized, shoot, if I go too fast, I'm going to decay. I'm more susceptible to attacks, I'm not going to grow as strong and so it started to grow thicker and slow down and and had the resin in there that it needed so that it could grow strong and healthy and last. And so this hollow tree was a good reminder to me that even if you've made mistakes in the past, that you can still learn proving the future and stand strong and resilient. I love that.
Tamara Anderson 10:06
There's a couple of Bible verses that I think go along with this principle of slowing down, and being patient and walking with God through times of adversity. And one of the favorite Bible verses I found was in Isaiah chapter 40, verse 31, where it says, but they who wait, for the Lord shall renew their strength, They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. And I love that because it reminds us that in times of adversity, we need to wait. We don't need to run fast we can slow down.
Tamara Anderson 10:46
Another verse that I really loved is in James chapter five, verses seven and eight. And here's what he says, Be patient, therefore brother and unto the coming of the Lord, behold, the husband, men are kind of the farmer waited for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he received the early and latter rain, be he also patient stablish your hearts for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. And I love how James kind of brings in the law of the harvest here that, that you can't simply plant something and expect it to grow right away, you have to kind of wait. And with any situation where we're dealing with adversity, it requires waiting, it requires patience, just like you have to nurture and water. And I love how it says establish your heart. Be patient as we are winding up the scenes before the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Tamara Anderson 11:47
The adversary is going to attack focus on slowing down doing the most important things and, and being patient as you build slow, but strong and adversity. All right. So That's principle number one, grow slow, be patient, wait on God,
Tamara Anderson 12:06
We're gonna take a quick break. But when we get back, we'll have more lessons, tips and things you can apply to your life. Stay tuned. How many of you out there feel like your life is chaotic, crazy, and completely awful compared to the norm? What if I were to tell you you are normal for you. I'm so excited to tell you about my book normal for me, learning to love and accept life's detours with God's help. This book took me 10 years to write. And I shared 20 years worth of lessons learned in my life detours, including being in a car accident and having two of my children diagnosed on the autism spectrum. In this book, I share the secrets of how I made it from despair to peace with God's help. I talked about being a zombie mom, living in survival mode, learning true faith, and how I debunked the myth that God doesn't give you more than you can handle. normal for me also includes a bonus diagnosis survival guide at the very end the book in which I shared 12 tips to survive and thrive in tough times. So what are you waiting for? Grab your copy of normal for me today on Amazon, or on my website? Tamara K anderson.com.
Tamara Anderson 13:33
The second thing I think we can learn from these amazing bristle combines, is the concept of adapting in adversity. Meaning sometimes we have freezing harsh remote conditions in our lives, that maybe we're hating at the moment but they're the very things that are making us and helping us grow stronger so that we can stand the test of time and so that we can stand firm and strong and God. I love the example of these trees, the freezing temperatures, the dry soils, the high winds, all these things, the short growing conditions because they're clear on a mountain top and it takes a long time for that snow to recede.
Tamara Anderson 14:16
These very conditions that were so harsh were the very things that made these Bristlecone pines strong, they were able to adapt to these adverse conditions. And I love the quote that I found about the Bristlecone pines that said the Bristlecone pines ability to stand for centuries after death is directly related to the adversity of its life. So the more challenging things that had and the slower it grew, the more adverse conditions, these trees lasted the very longest. And some of the things that they learned to adapt to do was for example, these Bristlecone pines learn to start storing water in their thick needles and in their roots.
Tamara Anderson 15:04
They also learned another lesson that I'm going to tie in, in the next principle, to kind of get rid of the things that didn't matter as much. How do we grow stronger in adversity? Do we see the challenges we're facing as opportunities to become stronger. And I know that if you're anything like me, often when you face adverse things like, I remember when Nathan and Jacob reverse, were first diagnosed with autism, that it was really hard for me, and I didn't want that challenge. I didn't want that adversity in my life. I didn't see how it could make me stronger. Maybe I saw that it could make me a stronger and better person, but I didn't want to go through it. It was easier to kind of just maintain where we were. And I didn't want to go through that.
Tamara Anderson 15:57
And I think we often feel like that when we're going through hard times. We're like, why do we have to do this? I don't want to do this. And at those times, we wonder, how do we become that stronger person? How do we get through this adversity, especially when we feel like we're not strong enough? To do it on our own? We're, we're so weak, we realize we need to grow stronger, but it's so painful, to become stronger. So how do we become resilient in adversity, as described in Second Corinthians four, eight through nine, where where Paul says, We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed? We are perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not forsaken, cast down, but not destroyed?
Tamara Anderson 16:50
How do you get that kind of strength? How do you do it? Paul gave us another tip. In Second Corinthians a few chapters later in Second Corinthians 12, verse nine, he said, And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. And I think that's the key, Paul learned that he wasn't strong enough on his own. The very adversities that could make him strong, were big enough to break him. But they weren't big enough to break God. And so he had to lean on God, most like he said, most gladly, therefore will like glory in my infirmities, so that he could have the power of Christ in him.
Tamara Anderson 17:50
Just like I learned in my adverse times, that and my mantra became from Philippians, four, three, I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me, all things, any adversity that comes upon me, I know, I can face it with him by myself. Nope, not strong enough. And so I think that is the key that I learned here is we can adapt to adversity and become stronger and Christ as we learn to lean on him. So these very adverse conditions like the bristlecone pine, the very things that are going to make us stronger, are the hardest things to go through. And we don't have to do it alone.
Tamara Anderson 18:35
Oh, I'm kind of glad to know that I wish I learned it earlier. But I had to go through hard things to be able to learn that for myself. So that's the second concept, adapt to adversity, become stronger and Christ.
Tamara Anderson 18:47
Now, the third principle that we can learn from the Bristlecone pines, is the amazing ability that these pines have to prune back branches and parts of the tree that aren't as necessary for their survival. It was so interesting to watch these pine trees, and look at the pine tree and there was like one small part left that was alive. And the rest of it was just a shell standing. Because it had pruned back. It said, You know what, this is the best part for me to keep, and I'm going to prune back everything else that doesn't matter to keep me alive. And so, I love this.
Tamara Anderson 19:31
There were some times you'd have literally half the tree, sometimes just one branch still staying alive. And these are ones that have been around for 3000 4000 years. You know, it was amazing to me and I thought there's a lesson to be learned here. Sometimes when we're facing adverse conditions. We talked about slowing down, but I think it's important that we also prune from our lives, things that aren't important to keep us going Sometimes pruning those things are really painful to our hearts and souls.
Tamara Anderson 20:06
I remember a couple of years ago, I was doing a morning radio show with a couple of friends. And I loved it, it was so much fun. And my life was really crazy. I had my children needed my help. And I remember at one point, just feeling completely overwhelmed and kneeling down and praying and saying, Heavenly Father, I am overwhelmed. And I need to know what things I can eliminate from my life so that I can focus on what's most important. And one of the thoughts that popped into my mind was you need to stop doing that morning radio show. And I was like, No, I really enjoy it. But God was good to help me see that it wasn't one of the most necessary things for my growth and improvement at that point, that he wanted me it was okay, I'd kind of made a list and, and, and taken it to God and said, Okay, what should I keep? And what can I eliminate? Or what can I change?
Tamara Anderson 21:11
I have this really cool form that I fill out when I get overwhelmed. And it's called My not to do list. And what I love about my not to do list is I kind of make a list of everything that I'm doing. And then I take it to God and say, Okay, what do I need to eliminate because everything is not fitting in my life right now. And so God is good to help me know what things I can prune from my life. And when I prune those things from my life, it frees up and gives me space to then refocus on what's important, and I've talked a little bit about that already.
Tamara Anderson 21:48
But I think there's two key questions here. And that is what are the basics I need to focus on and what do I need to prune? And I love that the bristlecone pine teaches us this, that it knows what it needs to keep growing. And it knows that it needs to prune or stop sending nutrition to things that it doesn't need. In John chapter 15, verse two, we read every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away and every branch that beareth fruit, he purchased it, that it may bring forth more fruit. I love that Jesus Christ here teaches us this concept of purging, that sometimes things aren't producing fruit, and we need to prune them. And sometimes even though we are producing fruit, we need to be pruned a little bit so that we can do better.
Tamara Anderson 22:43
And and so this is a gospel concept. It is okay to prune things from our lives that aren't as important. Sometimes it's things that we're doing. Sometimes it's people that are being toxic, but be prayerful, because God will inspire you what is right to prune for you. And remember that some of the things we prune it's a time and season type thing. Maybe it's not right then but maybe it will be right later.
Tamara Anderson 23:12
Religious leader Dieter F Uchtdorf said it is good advice to slow down a little study the course and focus on the essentials when experiencing adverse conditions. And so I want to remind you that when you're experiencing hard times, that it is important to slow down, be patient wait on God. Number two, adapt to adversity and become stronger in Christ. And the third thing is pruning back the unnecessary and focusing on the basics.
Tamara Anderson 23:46
And so my invitation for you today is to go to God and ask Him those two questions that I posed to you not long ago. Ask him what do you need to focus on during your time adversity? Is there things that you should be adding to your life? Maybe slowing down and adding scripture study and or prayer? And when can you fit that in your life? And ask him that second question to what do I need to prune so that I can stick to the basics better? And have that connection with God so that I can endure adversity so that I can adapt to this adversity and become the strong person that God knows we can become? But not by ourselves? We can become stronger through Christ.
Tamara Anderson 24:38
So the good news of our hike to the Bristlecone pines is that on the way back down, Nathan was happy and skipped along the snow trail because he knew we were heading back to the car back to his place of safety. And so just like our hike, there's going to be times where you're hiking uphill and you're not very happy But there's also times where you'll be hiking downhill, and things will be better. So have faith, have hope that hard times do come to an end. And remember to take them slow. Take them with God and prune back the things that you don't need, so that you can focus on the basics, and you'll get through it with his help and hope on my friends.
Tamara Anderson 25:23
Hey, thanks so much for listening to today's show. If you like what you heard, subscribe so you can get your weekly dose of powerful stories of hope. I know there are many of you out there who are going through a hard time, and I hope you found useful things that you can apply to your own life in today's podcast. If you'd like to access the show notes of today's show, please visit my website stories of hope podcast.com. There you will find a summary of today's show, the transcript and one of my favorite takeaways. You know, if someone kept coming to mind during today's episode, perhaps that means that you should share this episode with them. Maybe there was a story shared or quote, or a scripture verse that they really really need to hear. So go ahead and share this podcast. May God bless you, especially if you are struggling with hope to carry on and have the strength to keep going. When things get tough. Remember to walk with Christ and He will help you bear the burden. And above all else, remember, God loves you.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai