“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree…” (Psalm 92:12 NIV)
I had a strange dream in the last moments before the alarm went off this morning. An instigator was adamantly trying to convince me that dates were really just spoiled raisins. This person was adamant; if raisins were left in the sun and heat for too long, they’d become dates and that’s why dates are undesirable. I wasn’t swayed. I kept saying: “I’m pretty sure dates grow on their own tree, their a different species entirely.” I woke up wondering what I ate before bed that left me dreaming about dates and raisins.
Of course, I got into scripture and I couldn’t shake the dates out of my thoughts. Our Holy Land tour included the fruit as daily fare; the desert date is quite prolific in the middle east and still, not something I enjoy. I’d certainly rather eat a raisin; sweet, familiar, readily available. The dream made me wonder if the Lord was attempting to get my attention, so I started digging around in the Word.
Palm trees populate the pages of scripture. Deborah held court below the palms at Mamre. Palms were carved into the sanctuary: both the tent and Temple alike. Desert oasis always seem to consist of palm trees. Jericho was considered the City of Palms. Palms were instrumental in the building of booths for the Feast of Tabernacles. Palm branches were waved in ancient worship practices, and then again about Jesus during the triumphal entry.
Google search reveals palms to be an incredible species; specially adjusted to their unique surroundings. Palms thrive in incredible heat with very little water. And most remarkable, they can withstand the strongest of winds for three reasons: spongy trunks, few branches and an unconventional root system.
The palm trunk is not composed of wood like we might suppose. Palms don’t possess the neat little rings that tell their story like most trees. Instead, their trunk actually consists of an asymmetrical spongy-like substance. This sponginess allows them to lay down in high winds; bowing to the forces around them without breaking. When the wind ceases, they pop back up to their original stature.
Palm trees don’t boast large branches like live oaks or magnolias or evergreens. They have fronds, made of many, many needles or leaves. So when the winds blow, the fronds gather to protect the fragile bud at the center of the stock. Their unique design limits their drag in blustery conditions.
Lastly, palm trees have a unique footing. Instead of deep roots, they send out many, many short roots into the ground around them. This myriad of strong fingers acts like a grip, holding the tall palm to the earth through the worst of the storm. Additionally, they transfer energy from the trunk through the root system and into the ground rather quickly, which prevents mechanical failure of the tree above.
Palms are uniquely equipped to thrive and provide in their environment. Palms produce dates, but they also serve a plethora of purposes. All parts of the date palm have economic value: the trunk provides timber. The midribs of the fronds are useful for furniture and crate making. The leaves are assembled into baskets. The bases can be burned for fuel. The fruit stalks make rope. The fiber is repurposed for cording and packaging purposes. Syrup, alcohol, vinegar and liquor can be derived from the fruit and the sap similarly. Even the bud can be eaten as salad. There is no waste with a date palm.
As if all of this isn’t convincing enough, I began again in Genesis today. And that very first chapter reminds us multiple times how trees produce fruit in accordance with their kind. Apple trees beget apples. Oaks beget acorns. Vines produce grapes. Date palms produce dates. And production according to design is ultimately good.
“Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:12 NIV)
Date palms are dynamic trees with delightful purpose. And they are entirely different then grapes and raisins. Though the instigator in my dream was adamant about their sameness, even the substandard nature of dates; it was ultimately a lie. Creator determines intent. He made palm that could withstand winds and droughts for the sake of the nation. Dates are different than grapes and we can revel in that difference.
I often feel like my life looks different than others. Wind and drought have come with regular occurrence. In the past, I’ve been convinced that it’s a bad thing. Today I am realizing that God has designed me to withstand the conditions of my unique story. Like the date palm, I’ve been made of different stuff with a special root system. It’s because of those difference that I can bow to the winds but return to full stature when the weather has ceased. And like the date palm, every part of my frame is intended for God’s glory. I’m not a raisin, I’m a date and I’d better learn to like them because my best life is found in cooperating with God’s design. My flourishing will surely look a little different than those around me, but it’s flourishing all the same.
Lord, please forgive me for comparison. It is surely the thief of joy as Theodore Roosevelt said, but maybe even also the pickpocket of purpose. I regret arguing with enemy. Let me instead rally around the truth; convinced of Your perfect design. You don’t make mistakes. Please help me cooperate with Your intent for my story. Amen.