Today's Thought - And there are trees

Friday 7 March, 2008 subscribe | unsubscribe | respond | prayer | archive

And there are trees

The loquat tree flourishes, flowers and fruits without any period of leaflessness. It is never boring, bare or barren. In season and out, the loquat tree is gracious, green and gifted.

By contrast, the apricot tree loses leaves, loses lustre and loses life. It droops, drops and dies. Out of season it is pricked, pruned and punished.

Of the two, you would choose the loquat tree to have around in all seasons. Its fruiting period is brief and you have to eat it while it’s fresh. When it’s gone, it’s gone.

The apricot tree is enjoyable for only half the time. For the other half, it is uncompromising, uncomfortable and uncaring.

But when the apricot tree is off-season, and not at all nice to have around, my pantry is still full of its goodness. There are dried apricots, cooked apricots and jam apricots.

People are like trees. Some are great to have around all the time. They are loquacious, likeable and lovable. Others bear fruit that lasts for years. They are stimulating, stalwart and storable.

As the man who got his sight back said,
‘I see people – they look like trees,
but they are walking about.’

And the wise man said,

‘A soothing word is a tree of life.’

It is good to have a variety of trees in your orchard, isn’t it?