The Apricot Tree
May 3, 2017
By Yair Aronshtam from Israel (Apricot tree) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
I gloried in flowers and birdsong. Each year, I watched in sacred awe as the trees blossomed and then bore fruit. It was with this feeling of reverence that, as a preteen, I helped my parents plant a young apricot tree.
A few days later I was sitting by the window, watching a storm approach. Suddenly there was an immense blast of wind, which I later learned was called a microburst. A shaft of cold air had fallen from the clouds. Our little apricot tree was no match for the microburst. It snapped right in half.The storm passed, leaving behind a scene that made my heart ache. Slender branches that had once reached heavenward now brushed the ground. To me, it seemed hopeless. But my dad had some experience with trees.
“Don’t worry,” he said, “We can fix it.”
He stood the tree back up, wrapped its little broken trunk, and put supports around it. I watched without hope. I figured the tree would die.
Many years have passed since that day. The apricot tree has grown large and strong. It has stood through many storms and given much fruit. There is no sign that the tree was once broken. I’m so glad we didn’t leave it for dead.
Several years after this experience, I sat alone in the darkness of my dorm room, struggling against a fierce storm of fear and doubt. It seemed that my prayers were unheard, that the Lord had abandoned me to face my troubles alone. Things I had always believed in now seemed uncertain. Overcome by despair, I decided to stop trying. The storm was too strong. Like the little apricot tree against the microburst, I snapped. I gave up on the Lord and on myself.
But Someone had seen me fall and He came to my aid. It didn’t happen in the time or the way that I wanted, but I had called to Him and He came to me. Just as my dad had saved the little apricot tree, the Savior stood me back up, encircled me in His love, and supported me as I slowly healed and gained strength.
Over the next few years, I searched the scriptures for answers and prayed with real intent. I made changes and felt the power of the Lord in my life. My belief in the gospel deepened into a firm conviction, just as the apricot tree had grown in size and strength. I learned that Christ would stand by me through any storm. I also learned that there is always hope, no matter how broken we are or how far we fall.
Each time I see the big apricot tree, I remember when it was small and broken, and I marvel at what it has become. Such can be the power of Christ in our lives.