What kind of tree would you choose to be?
That's the question posed by a devotional I recently read. When polled at one church, one person said an evergreen, to be green year round. Another said an oak, to be strong and sturdy. One young girl suggested she'd like to be an apple tree, so she could produce fruit.
The question appealed to me. I liked the idea of producing fruit. I also liked the idea of being green year round. So I considered orange trees. One disadvantage is that they can only live in somewhat mild climates. But they stay green. They produce healthy fruit that will hold for a long time. The orange peel is useful in making cleaning products and in naturally scented items. And they have a lovely perfume when they bloom. Those same blooms are used traditionally for happy occasions such as weddings to celebrate the commitment of two people to love and support each other through life.
Then I wondered...would I be a Valencia orange or a Navel. The Valencia ripens in the summer and its juice can be stored refrigerated or frozen. Navels are great for eating, but when juiced it has to be drunk quickly or it turns bitter. Yet Navels come ripe in the winter, when other fruits are more scarce.
I liked the idea of bearing fruit in the winter...that is, being fruitful when the environment doesn't easily support being fruitful. I don't like the idea of bitterness if held too long before consuming.
No one tree holds all the qualities I admire most.
Perhaps we can choose what qualities we appreciate in the trees around us...and seek to emulate them in our daily lives. We won't do it perfectly, but there's value in aiming high and striving hard.
