I realize today's photo is not a great one. The lighting is all wrong, and the composition is probably lacking as well. It's just a snapshot from vacation. At the time I snapped it, I didn't realize what I had captured. That triangle-shaped, dark green patch in the top left of the picture… that's a group of Douglas fir trees.

Somehow, on the side of a canyon, this little community scratched out a niche for itself and thrives against all odds.

The seeds grew where they landed.

They didn't complain to God that He'd obviously made a mistake, since everyone knows fir trees don't belong on the wall of a dry Utah canyon.

They didn't worry about the lack of deep soil.

They didn't wonder where the water was going to come from.

They weren't afraid of the constant wind whipping around them.

And they have become a testimony of God's care and provision even in the most hostile, unlikely circumstances and environments.

Too often, I expect life to be like a hothouse orchid's, with every detail of my existence careful monitored and optimized. I'd rather not believe God is calling me to be a fir tree in a dry canyon. Orchids are beautiful, fragrant, attention-grabbing. But they don't last long. The fir tree life is tough. Survival requires a total dependence on things outside my control. Everyone focuses on the canyon. Few people notice the trees. But the trees last for a long time. And rather than just robbing resources, they impact their environment.

Not a bad testimony.