Wednesday, May 3, 2017
Once upon a time, back in the 1800's, the American Chestnut grew tall and strong in the Appalachian Mountain Range of North America. It could grow to be 100 feet tall and its trunk could be 10 feet in diameter. It was a very important tree and was considered to be superior to its relatives from Europe, China, and Japan.
Mr. Chestnut prided himself in providing nuts for many of the critters in the forest: deer, turkey, pigeons, and black bears were among those that thrived on them. And the forest floor loved his nutrient-rich leaves.
He also gave his life for the building of many items because people loved his straight-grained, strong hardwood.
- furniture
- split-rail fences
- shingles
- home construction
- flooring
- piers
- plywood
- paper pulp
- telephone poles
He was a useful guy to have around!
Then one day in 1906, a terrible thing happened. A blight. Mr. Chestnut's whole family began to die. Within 40 years, up to 3 billion American Chestnut trees were destroyed leaving only a few pockets of survivors.
But we can still see Mr. Chestnut in our homes today. Many beautiful pieces of furniture remain.
One of my favorite pieces of furniture that my daddy created was a beautiful hutch made from "wormy" chestnut. This lumber is a defective grade of blighted wood with obvious insect damage. But it is gorgeous once in the hands of a master craftsman.
And so, Mr. Chestnut's memory lives on in homes and communities across the country even though his family is almost gone.
Lord, thank you for creating something beautiful out of each of us your children. We were broken and dead and you gave us new life and purpose!
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