Be Like The Palm - March 22, 2022

I was driving home from church today listening to Joel Osteen on Sirius Radio. It often amazes me how God knows exactly what I need to hear on any given day. And the messages sometimes come in strange packages, but often, through other people.

Today, Joel was talking about palm trees and being that I was just in Florida for three months, the topic caught my attention. We had beautiful palm trees right outside our windows and we loved seeing and hearing the tropical breeze flutter it’s many branches. As it seems, the palm is not only pretty, but also strong and sturdy, especially in a storm.

I learned that palms could withstand winds of 145 miles per hour and are so flexible that they can bend up to 50 degrees without snapping. I wondered why this was so and found out that they are fibrous and wet on the inside, thus providing the flexibility to sway and bend in the worst of storms. I further learned that the palm is actually not a tree at all. Despite it having a trunk, height and leaves, that evidently does not make it a tree. The palm is in the same plant class as grass. Who knew? It makes sense, as I always associate swaying with grass.

"The strength and flexibility of the palm tree is sacred inspiration to flow beautifully through it all and still remain gracefully standing." -anonymous

As hurricane winds wreak havoc on homes, cars and beaches, the palm, although it bends, will not break. Can we not take a lesson from the palm? When life’s storms test us to our very limits, we often feel we will break. We withstand the beating winds of life’s tragedies until we think we can’t take it anymore. We try to stand up, yet we fall, yet try to get up again. Like the palm, we may lose some leaves as we fight our way through the downpour. We flounder and bend as we try to cope with the wear and tear on our minds, our bodies and our souls. We wonder when the constant pounding of the surf will subside.

The palm understands the struggle. She cannot see the end of the hurricane. But she holds firm, knowing her roots run deep. We, as well, know our roots run deep in our faith in God. His strength is there in every storm, holding us up, helping us withstand the onslaughts of life.

“The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree. He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.” – Psalm 92:12

During a storm, you might see a palm tree bent almost to the ground. You think it’s a goner. But, lo and behold, when the storm is over, the palm bounces back and stands strong. It’s not going anywhere.

I vow to keep this image in my mind of the palm, especially when life is pushing me over. As I twist and turn, crouch and buckle, I know the Lord will not let me break. He will lift me up until I am right once again, and I will come out stronger knowing He saw me through and never left my side.

Let’s be like the palm. Flexible. Sturdy. Resilient. And as Joel Osteen says, the palm has some serious bounce back. With God at our side, so do we.