Julie Lavender

CONSIDER THE CYPRESS KNEES
by Julie Lavender



Recent hikes led my husband and me past waterlogged, large-bottomed Cypress trees. “Buttressed bases,” my resident biologist corrected.

I chuckled at his loving, yet scientific-scolding.

Way more fascinating to me are the Cypress knees that surround most Cypress trees. Wooden, knobby stalagmites. Sometimes short and stumbling-worthy; sometimes knee-height and a bit more obvious.

Almost no other tree has knees, not in this fashion. Some have roots that loop and grow in odd shapes, but rarely do other trees have roots that shoot up and grow at right-angles to the underground, horizontal ones.

Cypress trees grow near ponds and in swamps and bottomlands. They can withstand flooding and strong winds and scientist have decided they’re vital to the ecosystem, preventing erosion where they stand guard like sentinels and harboring much wildlife, even some endangered and threatened species.

But those knees......

But those knees… I knew they were part of the root system, but why in the world do they grow vertical? 

“My college botany books gave two explanations for that,” said David in his best biologist, teacher-like voice. “Cypress knees are pneumatophores, roots that grow upward and supply oxygen for the tree. Otherwise, the trees would drown.

And, with all that moist, soggy ground, the Cypress knees and the buttressed bases support the trees and keep them standing in floods and high winds.”

Learning from God's Creations

I love learning about God’s creations, His masterpieces. I’ve always appreciated the beauty of God’s world, but I like the scientific facts that David helps me discover, too.

I believe that God wants to teach us more about Him through His creations and that He has lessons for us to learn through each creature, floral design, mountain, waterfall.

Consider......and be wise.......

That’s why I love that verse in Proverbs, where believers are extolled to consider God’s creations and be wise – my paraphrase, of course. Here’s the exact verse about a tiny ant that teaches a large lesson: Proverbs 6:6.

I continued my walk with God in silence and pondered what He wanted me to learn from those knobby knees.

On my knees.....

I liked the idea that the tree’s knees gave it strength to face the storms. When I spend time on my knees, I am much better equipped to face the storms that come my way, whether my struggles are annoying breezes, stronger windstorms, hurricane ones, or even floods of massive proportions.

And those knees, supplying the life-giving oxygen, remind me, too that my knee-time with Jesus gives me life.    

After our hike past Cypress swamps, and buttressed-based tall Cypress trees, and knees protruding from shallow water, I pulled out my phone to Google the various kinds of Cypress trees.

Uh oh......

“David, look at this….”

Turns out, what David learned years ago as an impressionable college biology student is now inaccurate.

Studies over the years revealed that Cypress trees with and without knees survive just the same. Not drowning; not toppling.

“Look; it’s just a mystery. Scientists don’t really know why Cypress trees have knees, David.”

I still like my analogy of spending time on my knees with God; maybe that’s what God wants me to learn from Cypress knees.

But perhaps the lesson God really wanted me to learn about the tree’s knees is that some things will remain a mystery, unless God decides otherwise.

The Lord our God has secrets 

known to no one. 

Deuteronomy 29:29 NLT

What about you? Did you find anything mysterious on your walk with God this week?

I’d love for you to share a comment below about a lesson you learned this week from one of God’s masterpieces.