Palm trees are my love language. People! Three whole blogs devoted to how a palm can reflect some attributes we need? Yeah. This is obsession.
This will be my last mention of palm trees on my blog for a few months, so if you’re more of an arctic tundra enthusiast, go ahead, do your celebratory jig now, I’ll wait.
As we conclude this trilogy on palm trees, a mere hours before we celebrate Palm Sunday, I thought it only fitting to save this segment for today’s time together.
The third, and final, characteristic of palm trees, that make it a worthy metric for our spiritual life are that of the palm branches.
PALM TREES ARE EVERGREEN.
Yes, today we are talking about palm tree fronds (that’s leaves for those less interested).
It doesn’t take much research to know that palm tree leaves vary amongst the different types of palm trees.
However, every palm tree has fronds. And the continual development of the fronds allows for the palm tree to remain evergreen.
Although there are thousands of varieties of palms, their fronds remain consistently in a 2:1 raitio. For every seasoned frond, there are two new, fresh, developing fronds. This is how the tree is able to remain evergreen.
Often times we come to seasons like the one we are approaching now, Easter, and we find ourselves in the rhythm of the Easter season. We have become seasoned in the church culture. We have developed a mentality that Easter is only a season for the churh to pull in new people. Easter has become and outreach.
Easter has become all about showing off our seasoned fronds.
Please hear me. Easter SHOULD be an outreach, but it MUST ALSO be a time for us to develop new, fresh fronds, if you will, in our own lives. We can’t remain evergreen without it.
When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey he was celebrated, he was anticipated and expected as king and ruler. Palm fronds were used at the time to signify royalty and celebration. Often times when officials would be passing through, the custom was for the ground to be covered with fresh fronds, and the people would wave the fronds as a banner of respect and celebration – it was a welcoming committee for the guest of honor.
We know from history that for many feasts and celebrations people were required to cut FRESH fronds from the palms as a means of honor to the high official – presenting them with not what had developed the longest on the palm, or had been through the most storms, or had seen the most of life, but rather the fresh fronds – those which had the most vibrancy, life, and potential.
So let’s take a quick look at how this applies to us.
The bottom line question is – are you evergreen?
Evergreen is not having it all together all the time. But rather, committed to developing despite the growth you have experienced in the past.
Evergreen is not about condoning immaturity in certain “under developed” areas of your life. But rather, realizing that there are ALWAYS new things God wants to do in you.
In fact, I would even go out on a limb (a palm limb of course) to say that for every seasoned area of your life, God will bring about two new, fresh, immature areas for you to develop.
It’s sort of refreshing to know that even though we have a double dose of immature “fronds” at any given time, it’s those very immaturities, that, as we stay under His light, and stay flexible and resilient in the storms, it’s those “fronds” of our lives that God develops into beautiful, huge, branches of our life. It’s these mature branches that provide grace, and covering, for those around us.
And all the while, He is keeping us evergreen.
I don’t know about you, but I NEED the fresh fronds in my life. I need to know that I’m living a life that is full of development and growth. I need to be reminded that for ever mature frond in my walk with Jesus there are two more that have yet to be developed. It’s also this very concept that helps us find grace for those whom we are focused on the immature “fronds” of their life.
They are just green, friends. Evergreen to be exact.
This Easter season, commit to yourself to look for the potential of growth in YOU. Yes, invite friends to your big Easter schindigs.
But don’t lose the wonder for yourself. What is it that God is sprouting up in you? (There are at least two things, remember that!)
And if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the amount of under developed fronds in your life, remember, these are the ONLY ones worthy of the King’s presence.
And one last thought. Every new palm tree frond develops from a place on the tree called the “crown”.
And without the King, you have no crown.
Stay Tuned for Profound Thoughts.
ashleemullin.com 