The Apricot Tree
How did this delicious and sweet apricot form? The apricot did not magically appear on its own; the entire tree must be considered.
Supporting the apricot are the strong branches. The branches are supported by the trunk, which are supported by the roots. The roots draw its nutrients from the soil. The rich soil exists because of water, oxygen, and nutrients.
If the soil is bad, if the roots are too small, or if the tree does not get enough water, any of this will result in sour and small apricots.
The fruit is the end result of the entire system working well together. Whether the apricots are delicious or sour is not dependent on the apricot itself - the cause lies somewhere in the branches, trunk, roots, or soil.
Did you know a person’s health operates in exactly the same way as the apricot tree? There are many levels that can go wrong... or right!
You can tell that a person has good "fruit" or health if they have good energy, bright skin, and a clear mind. These are the "fruit" that makes you feel good, and give you enough energy to do the things you want to do throughout the day. It makes your life sweet, just as you can tell an apricot tree is healthy by the juicy, delicious fruit.
How do you (and the apricot) get to be this way?? Let's look at the different parts of the tree:
The branches are our behaviors. Just as fruit grows out of the branches and are dependent on them for support, our health is dependent on what we do and how we act...
Are our behaviors healthy or unhealthy? Do we drink water or diet soda? Do we sleep enough at night or stay up and play video games and watch movies? Do we exercise when we are stressed or eat to relieve stress? These behaviors determine the external signs of our health.
The tree trunk represents our needs. Why is it that doing these things bring on good health or bad fruit? Our bodies all require the same set of needs to grow healthy. Our needs are unchangeable laws of nature. We do not get to decide what is healthy and what is not, we simply become what we do. All humans need a nutrient-rich diet, lots of clean water, warm sunshine, and activity.
But, what if we don't know what are needs are?
The roots represent our beliefs. Just as healthy roots draw nutrients from the outside soil to feed the tree that grows the fruit. We draw conclusions from our outside environment. If I believe that I need good food and clean water, in order to have good energy and a clear mind then I will incorporate those corresponding behaviors/activities into my lifestyle.
But, what if we believe that we need a Big Mac? Or believed that diet soda is healthy. We would behave by eating Big Macs, and drinking diet soda with the resulting “fruit” of an unhealthy BMI, brain fog, and low energy.
Where do these beliefs come from? They all come from external sources. What we were taught, what we see on TV, what we read and understand from the world around us and how we interrupt this information.
This is why understanding what our needs are and how to meet them is important!
In the Bible, Jesus also compares people to trees: in Matthew 7:16-18, He says:
“By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.”
Just as a healthy apricot tree naturally bears healthy, sweet apricots, a healthy person will have good health as long as their behaviors, beliefs, and sources are wholesome and well-sourced.
Written By: Deborah Kim
Image from The Law of Life by Mark Sandoval, MD