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What can I learn/become from an OLIVE TREE?
Dear Diary,
I was reading the Psalms today and noticed that David, when faced with his enemies & fears, said that HE WAS LIKE AN OLIVE TREE! Being a city girl, I thought about it and decided to read up on this awesome tree.
Besides, since marrying an Italian and coming up to a 9-year anniversary, I LOVE Olives and Olive Oil a WHOLE lot! I love when Joe cooks with Olive Oil, I love bread dipped in Olive Oil and I also have AMAZING memories of tasting 10 or more kinds of Olives at this wonderful supermarket in Israel last year in Tel Aviv.
Not only that but while taking a birthing class recently when talking about breast feeding, Joe and I found out that Olive Oil had special healing qualities anyone can rely on.
Satisfying and good, Olives are a winning food & very satisfying. But to be like an Olive Tree? Will that help me be a stronger person? Check out the facts I pasted below!
Today I pray: Lord, I pray as King David prayed, make me like an Olive Tree!
Also, food for thought- let us drink from the fountain of God's love so that we might grow in strength. For how can our tree grow without the water and irrigation of Hashem’s (G-d) love and presence?
Psalm 52:8 King David said,
But I am like an OLIVE TREE, thriving in the house of God.
I trust in God's unfailing love forever and ever
I will praise you forever Oh God, for what you have done.
I will wait for your mercies in the presence of your people.
Thrive- 1: to grow vigorously: flourish
2: to gain in wealth or possessions: prosper
3: to progress toward or realize a goal despite or because of circumstances —often used with on
Definition from http://mw1.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thrive
Facts about Olives
Archeological evidence suggests that olives were being grown in Crete as long ago as 2,500 B.C. From Crete and Syria olives spread to Greece, Rome and other parts of the Mediterranean area.
The olive is an evergreen tree growing to 50 FEET in height with a spread of about 30 ft. The tree can be kept to about 20 ft. with regular pruning. The GRACEFUL, BILLOWING APPEARANCE of the olive tree can be RATHER ATTRACTIVE.
In an all-green garden its grayish foliage serves as an interesting accent. The attractive, gnarled branching pattern is also quite distinctive. Olives are long-lived with a life expectancy of 500 years. The trees are also TENACIOUS, EASILY SPROUTING BACK EVEN WHEN CHOPPED TO THE GROUND.
Foliage: The olive’s feather-shaped leaves grow opposite one another. THEIR SKIN IS RICH in tannin, giving the mature leaf its gray-green appearance. The leaves are replaced every two or three years, leaf-fall usually occurring at the same time new growth appears in the spring.
The olive is native to the Mediterranean region, tropical and central Asia and various parts of Africa. The olive has a history almost as long as that of Western civilization
Strong winds will "sculpt" the trees, but otherwise they are QUITE WIND-TOLERANT.
Irrigation: IRRIGATION IS A NECESSITY in California with its dry summers. A monthly deep watering of homegrown trees is normally adequate. Because of its small leaves, with their protective cuticle and slow transpiration, the olive tree SURVIVES EVEN EXTENDED DRY PERIODS.
Pruning: Proper pruning is important for the olive. Pruning both regulates production and shapes the tree for easier harvest. The trees can withstand radical pruning, so it is relatively easy to keep them at a desired height.
Pests and diseases: The olive tree is affected by some PESTS and diseases, although it has FEWER PROBLEMS than most fruit trees.
Harvest: Olive fruits that are to be processed as green olives are picked while they are still green but have reached full size. They can also be picked for processing at any later stage up through full ripeness. RIPE OLIVES BRUISE EASILY AND SHOULD BE HANDLED WITH CARE.
