How High Will the Sycamore Grow?

There's an old saying that goes, "Strike while the iron is hot." I was already a freshman in high school when this idiom got my attention. Curiously, I asked my Mom about it and why one should strike a hot iron. She explained that iron can only be forged or moulded into the desired form when beaten while it is red-hot. My Dad, who was also listening across the sala, interjected and said, "That's what we call opportunity. Grab it at once when it shows up!" These are words of wisdom which are oftentimes ignored and misunderstood by youngsters like me.

Time passes by and one doesn't even know if opportunity has already come. The truth is opportunity abounds. It is almost everywhere. It's just that it goes unnoticed and ignored by those who are not ready to accept it. Acceptance means the willingness and the readiness to go for it. The unique thing about opportunity is its timing. It pops up and doesn't stay long. The red-hot iron must be beaten several times and quench it by water while it is still red-hot, otherwise it is like shooting with blank bullets . In my own understanding, I call this a window. A very short significant time by which one is allowed to do what has got to be done to get the desired or consequential result.

In the Bible, the story of Zaccahaeus, the tax collector presents opportunity in action. On his way to Jericho, Jesus of Nazareth is passing by a narrow road where a throng of followers and bystanders made traffic so heavy it is nearly impossible for a small man like Zaccaheus to go near Jesus or even just to be heard by Jesus. Seeing a sycamore fig tree nearby, he climbed and made himself visible to Jesus and called on Him. Jesus immediately acknowldged and commanded Zaccaheus to come down at once for he will stay at his house that day. Zacchaeus, the publicano, a deputized tax collector of the Roman Empire, the unworthy sinner, will host Jesus, a thoroughly good man, in his very own home. Deeply moved by this action of Jesus, Zacchaeus repented and reformed his ways. The best part of the story is when Jesus said, "Today, salvation has come to this house."

Salvation of Zaccaheus and his household did not come easy. He had to face the humiliation of having to climb up the sycamore fig tree, considered in the culture of their time as "unclean" because it bore fruit that is fed to the pigs. The sycamore tree in the story of Zacchaeus is the opportunity that led him to the greater things on earth, above all the riches of this world.

The song Colors of the Wind in the movie Pocahontas had this to say, "How high will the sycamore grow? When you cut it down, then you'll never know." Don't cut down your opportunities. Grab them.