In Sacred Marriage, Gary Thomas notes that there are trees in Washington State's northern Cascades that are hundreds of years old. One tree in particular is 700 years old. Typically, forests experience damaging fires every 50 to 60 years. The reason the trees in the North Cascades live so long is because the drenching rains protect them from forest fires caused by lightning strikes. Thomas says:

I think that's a good picture of a marriage that is based on the ministry of reconciliation. Strong Christian marriages will still be struck by lightning—sexual temptation, communication problems, frustrations, unrealized expectations—but if the marriages are heavily watered with an unwavering commitment to please God above everything else, the conditions won't be ripe for a devastating fire to follow the lightning strike.

Thomas notes there were hundreds of trees in the forest, but the National Service put a sign in front of the 700-year-old tree because "it had survived seven centuries. It had simply gone the distance, and in so doing, it commanded attention."