It was a cool wet morning. This land was moist, damp, dark, and dripping. Beneath my feet the decaying wood on the forest floor was almost sponge-like. This sure wasn’t Southern California anymore, where I had just been the day before, where the ground is perpetually thirsty. This was a new place for me- The Redwood Forest of northern California. 

“Wow!” I exclaimed. “You have to come see this. This snail is huge!” I was impressed and also wanted to wake my travel companion, Zach. I stood outside my tent taking in the misty wet wonderland. We had arrived in the dark the night before, and I wasn’t sure of what all comprised the surroundings when we were setting up camp. So I gingerly stepped out of my tent with curiosity. What is out there? I thought. The creature I found crawling up my tent was the biggest insect I had ever seen. It was crawling very slowly, easing its way, putting its whole body into it. I had my terminology confused. It was not a snail at all. It was a banana slug. This creature had a dismal sort of earthy yellow, with a rubberlike appearance. It was rightly named, for not only do these slugs have a yellow appearance, but they also are just about the size of a small banana. I’d come to find that Zach is not an easy one to wake up and get moving in the morning, but my exclamation about a bug got him right out of his tent. He is one fascinated by critters and crawling things of all kinds. 

“That’s not a snail. That’s a slug,” he corrected, observing it and soon gently poking it with a twig, inspecting its response. I was a little bit embarrassed by my error. He went on to spy two more crawling around our camp. They are commonly associated with the Redwood Forest, but I had not read up enough about this park to know, and thus these slugs were quite a surprise for me. We had camped in Elk Prairie campground, just a short walk from one of the park’s visitor centers. After I had got the ball rolling to get the day started with my bug exclamation, I made breakfast. I fixed my campfire apple crisp in which I baked apples in a tin cup over a campfire and melted an oatly chocolate chip Clif Bar over them. After breakfast, we quickly packed up our camp, then prepared our backpacks for an overnight adventure.

Redwoods vs. Sequoias

Before embarking on our day’s big trek, we drove over to the visitor center where, next to it, we went on a stroll through the Redwood forest on an entanglement of a series of short trails with interpretive signs. We had seen some Redwoods, driving between them the evening before. It was spectacular to see the evening sun finding its golden glow between their branches on the pine floor. But now it was a distinctly different experience to be outside and in their habitat. These trees are massive, surely impressive, but they don’t quite provide the same wow factor and sense of awe as the Sequoia’s of southern California. People often assume the Redwoods are the world’s largest trees. They are the world’s tallest trees, but the mighty Sequoias are the largest in volume, having girthier trunks and therefore invoking a greater sense of awe and boldness. 

The forest flood was a bed of pine needles and moist wood decay. As we trod on top of the forest’s soft bed, we looked up at the high reaches of the Redwoods disappearing as their branches covered one another. They for sure created a canopy. We were under it. The term “inside the forest,” really is quite appropriate. We were not quite fully outside. We were inside, but a different sort of inside. We could not see the sky except for small slivers peeking in, and thus the forest was dark, dismal in appearance. Vibrance was dampened.  Looking down from the forest’s tall reaches we encountered our company, enormous ferns crowding in what otherwise would be empty space, from the trunks of the trees to the edge of the paths. I couldn’t help but make more comparisons between the Redwoods and the Sequoia. The Sequoia has a cleaner, more refined look about it. It has straight edges and is more dignified. The Redwoods are a little more wild, sloppy, unrefined, if you will. They have many knots and lumpy growths which especially congregate around their bases. They give a feebler appearance as some are split and splintering. In a couple instances we climbed up into some trees which had split, and we took our pictures in the tree cavities 

Nurse Logs

As we wandered around the interpretive paths, I could see Zach’s head just barely visibly among the ferns which grew nearly as tall as him. At one point, with him ahead, I stopped and read an interpretive sign. It had really provoked some pondering. It was next to a fallen tree. On top that fallen Redwood, or from within it rather,  other saplings were growing, and moss and greenery were laden. I had also seen, along the day’s hike, other instances in which a nearly full grown tree had grown out of the fallen trunk of another. The placard beside this tree read, “Nurse Logs.”  I read that these fallen trees provide just the right nutrients to foster growth of the next generation of plant life. They are a phenomenon of the forest. I observed this particular fallen tree in front of me. It was as if it was its own world, its own little island or little planet in the universe of the forest. This decaying tree provided so much life and created its own miniature forest. It had its own visible microbiome. 

This was very captivating to me. I knew immediately something so spectacular and  peculiar is not without a deeper meaning. What is the message God has through us through “Nurse Logs.”? I truly believe no marvel of nature goes without a message. All of nature is designed to reveal spiritual truths to mankind and point us back to God. 

I began to think about people in relation to trees. To help you follow my train of thought, or perhaps my “tree of thought,” as it branches out in many ways, let’s take this to my most rudimentary observation. A Nurse Log is dead yet it provides life. There are people who are dead, but yet provide life. Not in the sense of bodies decaying and providing nutrients for the soil or tree growth. Don’t get me wrong. Rather, I mean in the sense that those who have gone on before us enrich our lives through their past lives fully lived. Their legacies, their teachings, their love and efforts are life-giving. We often live off of or find our life-fuel through the inspiration and efforts of those who have come before us… and if we don’t, we should. There are great people of the past who are true gifts from God, whom he placed in the exact right moments of time to enrich our lives. 

Nurse Logs in Scripture

I thought about the lives of those in Scripture, whose examples provide such enrichment to our own lives. I think of the faith and commitment of Paul in the face of persecution and suffering; the openness and raw relationship between Job and God in the midst of extreme suffering; the trust of Moses despite feelings of inadequacy; and the courage of Joshua to lead a new generation in battle after their people had gone astray. As I’ve posed this question to others, there are many females in particular who find strength in Mary for her obedience to and trust in God to be the mother of His only Son. There are so many Biblical figures who enrich our lives. However, there is really only One who can truly give life, and that is God through Christ Jesus. For the sake of this Nurse Log analogy, when I say “life-giving,” I refer to one who can greatly and profoundly enrich our lives, not literally give life. There are so many life-giving people in Scripture it’s overwhelming. God has given us a record of their lives with intention to help bring about the robustness of our own lives and ultimately lead us to Him. 

Nurse Logs in History

With these thoughts, I was overwhelmed in the best sense of the word. My wheels were spinning. I decided to consider other areas of our lives or other categories of “Nurse Logs.” I thought about more recent historical figures- the Abraham Lincolns, the George Washingtons, the countless heroes of time, and the men and women who have served in the military whose sacrifices have cleared the forest for our lives to flourish, especially all the lives sacrificed in the Revolutionary War and Civil War that allow for the freedoms we have today in our country. I also considered the theologians and philosophers whose great explorations of Truth have informed my own life and enriched it, even those who more tactically have built things and made advancements in medicine. Then I took this down to a more personal level. I asked myself, Who are the specifically identifiable Nurse Logs in my life– deceased people who truly enrich my life? Whose legacy continues to feed me and provide the nutrients for my own growth?

Grandparents as Nurse Logs

First and foremost, one answer is clear: It’s my grandparents, who are all deceased. It’s their efforts, their values, their consistency which influenced the character and values of my own parents. Consequently my parents have passed on those same values to me. There are so many aspects to consider, including ones of which I will never be aware. I can, however,  examine some of the obvious ones:  faith, creativity, persistence, family, love… Those are some of the nutrients I grow out from, left by their lives. I would surely not be who I am without my grandparents, and as a matter of fact, not for my grandparents parents, and the lineage for generations. My grandparents are surely the most nutrient dense Nurse Logs in my life. Their influence, though most times not direct, is the most profound and interwoven in my life. 

Walt Disney: a Nurse Log of creativity and work ethic

I began to think of others, deceased people apart from family, who have enriched my life. When I think about my sense of creativity and work ethic I think of Walt Disney. He influences me as a writer and teacher. The broad gamut of his stories and creative work spur me on in my own creations. He adopted a principle his father gave him: “Any job worth doing is worth doing well.” I believe that. It guides me in my own creative endeavors. Walt put a great influence on the quality of my work, and his example speaks to me and influences my work. He also saw the quality and potential in others. He was a master at bringing talent together. That has influenced me to bring on outside talent into my own creative projects. I also am inspired by the value he placed in storytelling, family, and innocence.  Even my patriotism is inspired by Walt Disney’s love for his country. How sad Walt would be to see how far the company he started has strayed from his values. 

Something often overlooked about Walt Disney is that he placed a great importance on reading too. He hoped his storytelling would inspire children to read more, something I am also so passionate about. I’ve spent a few years writing for Dolly Parton’s Dollywood theme park, and in that getting to know more about Dolly Parton than I ever expected or could have imagined to in my life. I see how Walt Disney is surely a nurse log to Dolly as well, inspiring her in her theme park, resorts, and storytelling. In her book Dream More: Celebrate the Dreamer in You, she really summed up the value in reading that perhaps the three of us share. She writes, “I tend to find that people who read more are generally more engaged and therefore care more.” 

To top it all off, I am inspired that Walt made the largest entertainment company in the world out of nothing. His story is that of a poor farm boy in middle America, who moved to Kansas City with virtually nothing and was homeless. He started off on his own taking showers in a train station and sleeping in his office, but in those moments he had fierce determination, which for me is life-giving inspiration. When I feel like I make no progress in my own efforts I think back to Walt’s story and find the gumption to keep going. 

John Muir: a Nurse Log of viewing nature

Another man who inspires me, who feeds my life, is the preservationist, writer, and adventurer John Muir. I wrote about him in my book, Still Calm and Quiet: More adventures in the National Parks and the beautiful wild, when I visited his family home in Martinez, California. Through reading his work, he has shaped how I view nature- how all of creation is intricately designed with common properties reflective of a common Creator. John Muir cherished all the fine details of nature and that has helped me find delight in the most common, intricate, and most unusual things of nature. Muir has taught me to view all things in nature with awesome wonder, truly privileged to be able to look into the fantastical, artistic mind of God. This has also helped me find the great meaning in all things in nature. If it wasn’t for Muir, a number of my books would not have been written, or at least not the way they have been. I may not even have stopped to ponder the Nurse Logs and really consider what message they hold, and therefore I wouldn’t be writing any of this now. 

Muir also helped me toughen up. When I brave the elements and my uncomfortability grows strong, I think about all Muir endured on his adventures, sleeping exposed on a lump of moss or in the bitter colds of Alaska, or even walking a thousand miles across the country. 

Theodore Roosevelt: a Nurse Log of character and strength

Lastly, one who should not come as a surprise to anyone who knows me and my writing is Theodore Roosevelt. He inspires me most in terms of his character which was so solid, His commitment to principles, right and wrong, and what is just and righteous was so strong. He did not shrink from hardship but endured it to great extents, compelled by his own moral duty. 

I was initially drawn to Roosevelt learning of his childhood illnesses and the immense grief he had as a young man through tragic loss. How can someone go through such pain and suffering, yet become such a powerful and effective leader, living such a rich life, and become president? I had to study this man and learn of that which guided and sustained him. Roosevelt without a doubt would have said his own father, who passed away when he was a young man, was his greatest Nurse Log, and to me Theodore Roosevelt is certainly one of my greats. I pull great strength from his many hardships and resolve.

In 2022 when I spoke at A Badlands Chautauqua: Gathering of the Teddy Roosevelt’s in North Dakota, I began my talk with this very topic of Roosevelt as a Nurse Log. To my humbling honor, the oldest living Theodore Roosevelt repriser, the dignified Marty Jonason, told me afterward, “The part about the Nurse Logs really gave me chills.” Though I was surprised and felt so honored to receive such words, I thought of it as a challenge. Shouldn’t we all feel that sense of chill when we consider how greatly we can impact the lives of others, even when we are gone? 

Roosevelt’s Joy

Back to my study of Roosevelt, I’m most recently interested in Roosevelt’s joy. He was a man of many outward emotions, but a very prominent one was joy. A quote that often comes to mind is, “The joy of living is his who has the heart to demand it.”  One could take this to great philosophical lengths, to some interpretations that I may even disagree with. However, for me, and what I believe Roosevelt was saying, was quite simple. There is great joy in this life we are given, but it must be pursued. He follows this with his line “Life is an adventure, accept it in such a spirit,” implying that joy comes from fully embracing the adventures of life. We must remember that God wants us to be joyful, and we can find great joy in Him and his many blessings in life, but as Roosevelt says, we must pursue joy and fully live our lives. Oh, there is so much to unpack when it comes to Roosevelt. I could write a book about him… well, actually, I have, a few times.

A very important aspect of living life is also the truth that we cannot fully live our lives apart from God’s Spirit gifted through the redeeming power of Jesus. To Roosevelt’s point, we cannot fully enjoy our redeemed life without embracing all that lies in our paths and pursuing the opportunities afforded us. As he would say, this is the “adventure.”  It’s so easy to fall into gloom in an aging world that does not seem to be maturing but rather degrading. With so much going on in the world, one may think pursuing joy is but a frivolous and selfish pursuit. It’s easy to dismiss it in all our trouble, but joy is so important that God commands us at least twenty-five times in Scripture to rejoice, and joy is mentioned over two hundred times in the Bible. In Philippians 4:4 it is written, “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice!”

With all the mention of God, amidst my discussion on Nurse Logs, one might ask, Are you going to mention Jesus as your Nurse Log? Surely Jesus is the most influential force in my life. He influences and permeates every corner of my life, and I want His influence to be even greater. If at times that’s not true, it’s yet a deeper desire to want my heart to long and let God have more control. The reason why I don’t call Jesus a Nurse Log, is because He is alive! He is not dead. This I know. Jesus was a human, but he was also divine, God in the flesh. Here I discuss the deceased purely human Nurse Logs, who nevertheless I give God all due credit for. All Nurse Logs are gifts from God.

Authors as Nurse Logs

As I’ve thought all of this over to great depths and have considered my Nurse Logs, I must also credit the countless authors through the ages whose words inspire and give us life. How fortunate we are to live in a time when we have the wisdom of the ages passed down to us in text, and so many books in print which can provide so much enrichment. It can be natural for some young people, myself at one time included, to dismiss the writings of the deceased as irreverent and outdated…but pause. I now unfold such old books with great reverence and an expectancy to learn. Some of the writers of the past were much more thoughtful than the average man today, much more conscious of God and their place in the universe. They may be gone, but the words they have left behind, may be nutrient dense. We must have sacred reverence for the past. The past too is a gift. It is all a part of God’s story. Let us cherish the wisdom of the ages and the library filled with countless examples of lives past lived.

The whole phenomenon of Nurse Logs, though fun to ponder, and an instigator of reverence and gratefulness, is also a challenge to us. Will we live lives that count for the next generations? Will they feed off of what we have done with our lives? I’ll admit I don’t know what that means for my life. I don’t know what it looks like. I have to have faith. It’s like trying to see the sky through the limbs of the Redwoods. I know it’s there, I just can’t see it. God has a plan for your life, even though you may not know the specifics. Maybe just like Marty, that should give us goosebumps. I pray that in God’s plan we may be those life-giving Nurse Logs of the forest.

Who Are Your Nurse Logs?

As you venture forward in the wilderness of the unknowns of life, take a moment to consider, Who are your Nurse Logs? and may you draw inspiration from them. 

If you enjoyed reading this, check out my book “Still, Calm, and Quiet“

Check out my previous entry here: “Ghosts and Gold“