Palms Up
Palms Up
“Then they came to Elim, where there
were twelve springs and seventy palm trees,
and they camped there near the
water.”
Exodus 15:27
If this is where the Israelites break camp, I’m with them. I love palm trees.
Springs and water are wonderful too. In our move from Guam to the Mainland and
looking for the city we wanted to live in, there was a “palm tree rule.”
Wherever we decided, it also had to be able to sustain palm trees. Outside.
Portland, Oregon qualifies by the slimmest margins. Certain species can grow
here and survive the winters outside. These palms are most often seen in the
highly manicured corners of McDonald’s parking lots, and once in a while in
front of the homes of suspected Oregofornians - of which I can circuitously, be
accused of being.
Since the end of my youth and college in Wisconsin seventeen years ago, I’ve
lived in places where palm trees grow outside, and I find them fascinating.
They really are incredible. Scientifically, the first palm trees appear in the
fossil records between 80-94 million years ago. Today there are about 2600
species of palm trees around the world, and some of the popular fruits that
they produce include acai berries, coconuts, and dates, all of which contain
very healthful nutrients for food and topical remedies. The tallest palms,
grown in Columbia, can reach over 190 feet tall. The Coco de Mer palm tree
boasts the largest seeds of any other plant on earth, and the Corypha palm the
largest flowering part of any plant. They hide their age well. They do not grow
with ‘tree rings” like many other trees do. So you cannot tell their age by
counting their rings. Some tropical palms bend, sway, and drop fronds to
withstand hurricane-force winds. However, as much as I commonly think of them
as being tropical plants, it has been fascinating to find out over the years
that they also can grow here in Portland, and places that have similar cooler,
oceanic climates like England, Scotland, and Ireland. For one interesting
historical note, during the Revolutionary War, the logs of the Sabal Palmetto
palm were used to build Fort Moultrie in South Carolina. The sponginess of the
palm wood helped to stop cannonballs. Thank you for many of these cool palm
tree facts Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arecaceae!
In my curiosity, I have continued to learn interesting tidbits about palms.
From a variety of sources, including the text itself, I’m learning that
Biblically palm trees represent goodness, wisdom, prosperity, fertility, holy
festivity, femininity, fruitfulness in older ages, upward growth in spite of
heavy burdens, victory, resurrection. It grows from within first, then presses
out - a fitting symbol for prayer-driven life. No wonder then, I’ve felt like a
coconut! I dearly hope I am not alone in feeling that. However, in case it’s
never crossed your mind to think of yourself as such, and so that I am not
completely alone in prayer on this one, then let me assist.
A Coconut
Palm in Prayer
Lord, you
grew me from a coconut.
Floated me
from land to land, moment to moment,
place to
place,
nutty,
hardened,
self-contained,
perfectly formed,
bobbing
waves of mercy and grace.
Until I came
to the ground you chose.
You blessed
and broke me.
Forced out
water, root, and infant shoot.
Grew me from
the fibers of my heart-would first.
Splayed out
fronds to soak up Son and Light.
Help me
always pray with my palms up to You.
Help me sway
gracefully with the winds and storms of the Holy Spirit.
Strengthen
my trunk to produce, bear, and drop new coconuts.
Planted by
the springs of Your mercy and grace,
Please keep
me in the oasis of Your love.
Amen.
