"I’m
the Vine; you are the branches. Those who believe in Me will bear much fruit."
~ John 5:15
I always dreamed of owning a
vineyard. So on this south-facing slope,
it became my life’s mission.
A practiced vinedresser schooled
me on how to tend my grapes. He was old
and bent, but his smile was inviting.
His hands were gnarled but they held everything tenderly; wisdom gained
from experience.
For one entire season, we walked
the morning-wet fields. He taught me
everything I needed to know about the secret world of the vines. Surrounded by grapes, I learned to pray for
gentle rains, generous sunshine, and cool nights. He also shared the spiritual symbolism of his
work.
“Humans develop much like plants,” he said. “There’s nature and nurture, and a balance
above and below the earth.” From the
time they’re grafted and take root in the soil, vines need careful and constant
attention. Like our children and friends,
grapes ripen slowly, thriving with decades of kindness and affection amid a
fragile environment.
“A bountiful harvest doesn’t happen by accident,” he warned. “Without pruning, there’d be no fruit to
gather. A vine has only enough energy to
nourish a few canes. Let all of them
grow and none will flourish.” We want it all. But we must decide how best to use our energy;
how many activities and possessions we can feed. The answer’s not as many as we think.
“Good vinedressers know their vines, branches and the soil
they’re growing in,” he revealed. “They
know what’s needed and when.” We often
don’t know what’s best for us. But our Heavenly
Vinedresser does. Because God loves us,
He constantly ‘prunes’ us. He’s not
angry; He’s hard at work in His vineyard.
“Keep trimming what’s dead or
misshapen, lest you end up with a tangled mess,” he suggested. “Train the vines on trellises - not to
restrict them but to support them, just as Jesus, the proverbial ‘Vine’ supports
and sustains us.”
“And when it comes to harvest time,” he advised, “move
around and let the sun hit the vines from different directions. Lift that leaf where more grapes are hiding.” There are so many surprises if you walk
around and look at things from different angles.
It got me thinking about looking at people from a different perspective.
Like the branches, sometimes you have to
get down and crawl on your knees and look pretty hard.
And finally, a vineyard can be wiped out in five minutes of
hail. That too, is a lesson in faith and
hope. All is not lost; the vineyard will
recover.
As I rock on my porch in the cool evening shade, I give
thanks for the fruit of my vines and the God who made it all possible.
“Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for
through your goodness we’ve received the wine we offer You: fruit of the vine
and work of human hands. It will become
our spiritual drink.” ~
Roman Missal
