Of Palm Trees and Oaks
- Pastor Jay Christianson
- Aug 15
- 6 min read
“So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in him, being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with gratitude.” (Colossians 2:6-7 CSB)
I’m perched on my second-floor balcony this morning, leaning back in my bar height chair, pad in hand, surveying my domain. Actually, just overlooking my community and enjoying the view. The clear blue sky is nearly devoid of clouds with sunshine galore. A warm sub-tropical breeze wafts through the trees, causing their leaves and leaflets to stir. To my right, at 2 o’clock, is the classic coconut palm. To my left, at 10 o’clock, is the majestic Florida live oak. Both trees’ canopies are eye-level with me, giving me a mockingbird’s eye view of the neighborhood.
Did I mention I love living in Florida?
My friends fear for me because of the annual possibility of hurricanes ripping across the state, typically between August and October. These rain beasts are not very common, thankfully. However, when they pop up in the Gulf or ride in on the African equatorial winds, they can be devastating, as we’ve recently seen with Hurricane Ian, a true monster of a storm. I’m reminded of Peter’s description of Satan: “Your adversary (the hurricane in this case) is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
Devour, it can.
Hurricane Ian truly was the beastliest. Of course, I’ve only lived here for four years. I’m sure there were worse storms. But when the horrific winds ramped up at eight o’clock in the morning and lasted for the day and into the evening, I was a bit anxious. Okay, I was a lot anxious. My household waited until dawn to assess the damage.
I was shocked.
The fierce winds affected only a few trees in our community of 1800+ homes. The oaks lost a few branches. Only a handful were felled. One palm tree leaned precariously next to my neighbor’s driveway. Seriously. One.
The day after Ian, I was both surprised and not. I was not surprised that the palm tree had been pushed over because they have shallow roots. I was surprised because it was only one palm that took the hit.
Sitting here on my balcony, perusing the two trees, the palm and the oak, on a day that is the antithesis of a hurricane, gave me pause.
The palm has shallow roots, and the oak’s roots grow deep, anchoring it securely in the soil. But that provoked a question. On the whole, why did both varieties of trees survive the hurricane so well despite the palm’s seemingly tenuous grip on the ground?
The oak’s tenacity is understandable. It is massive, heavy, and firmly established by its heavy-duty root system. Because of its roots and hardwood nature, it is able to resist driving winds, even at over one hundred miles per hour. It might get damaged under the onslaught, but it will survive and grow stronger.
The palm’s advantage is in its flexibility. Although the palm needs bracing for some time after planting for the roots to develop as much as they can, its enormous ability to bend during high winds increases its odds of survival.
And therein lies our lesson.
What does a new follower of Jesus need as they begin their growth journey with Jesus? Flexibility. In high school, I didn’t have the knowledge about Jesus nor the experience with Him that I have today, some fifty years of walking with the Lord later. When my family had a house fire that gutted the interior of my home in my seventh-grade year, or when my first romance in tenth-grade ended abruptly when I was unceremoniously dumped, or when other hurricanes of life roared over me, I didn’t have the answers. I was clueless.
I started reading the Bible in eleventh grade, and a remarkable number of verses leaped off the page and into my mind and heart. However, I didn’t have enough stored away to firmly ground me in my faith. All I had was simple trust that allowed me to persevere with Jesus. That simple trust caused me to bend under the onslaught of terrible winds that threatened to rip me apart. I didn’t know, but Jesus did. I would bend into His arms and wait. Understanding came later.
By the way, the bending I’m talking about is not compromising. It’s an attitude. I don’t know, but I will continue. When life’s winds pummel us, we bow at Jesus’ feet, trusting Him to preserve us.
Fun fact. Palm trees aren’t trees. They’re a type of grass. “The answer to the question of whether palm trees are trees or not is somewhat of a gray area. Palm trees have several tree-like characteristics, but they also have characteristics that are typical of grasses. Therefore, some people consider them to be a sort of “hybrid” between trees and grasses, but in the end, they are classified as grass” (allaboutpalmtrees.com).
Fascinatingly, God compares us to grass. “The grass withers, the flowers fade when the breath of the Lord blows on them; indeed, the people are grass” (Isaiah 40:7). Although the trying winds of life blow upon us, we will prevail until God’s breath moves over us.
In the meantime, just as newly-planted palms need bracing until they are established, so do new believers. They find that in a community of fellow believers. They need flexibility as they grow in the Lord until their roots of understanding dive deep into God’s revealed word.
Speaking of established trees, that brings us to the oak, firm and unyielding, for “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day” (2 Timothy 1:12). In contrast, the palm’s flexibility comes from a more simple trust in Jesus and the encompassing strength of fellow believers, the oak-like believer finds strength in the deep roots of knowledge and experience gained through a life with the Lord.
This strength of grounding makes these oak-Christians steadfast in horrendous times, whatever they may be. I know of a couple who lost a grandson. Their trust in God is a testimony of their profound spiritual maturity, which inspires many around them to press on despite the gale beating against them. When it passes, they remain standing, somewhat battered, but steadfast. Like the oak, they may have had to endure pain and continue to endure it, but growth begins anew, and the oak prevails.
May these two scriptures encourage you as you read them.
“So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in him, being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with gratitude” (Colossians 2:6-7, italics author).
“We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9, italics author).
Are you in one of life’s hurricanes now? Take heart. Fear not. The One who planted you and is establishing you will keep you until the end and beyond.
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Sources:
Are Palm Trees Really Trees, or Are They Grass?, www.allaboutpalmtrees.com/post/are-palm-trees-grass-or-trees
Shining the Light of God’s Truth on the Road Ahead
Pastor Jay Christianson
The Truth Barista, Frothy Thoughts