The Vine Dresser Comes,


The Gardener has definitely been snipping a lot on your vine! That evidently means your fruit will be fresh, large, and abundant!  You have been worthy of nurturing and tending even though your trials have been many!

The Gardener of my vine, however, has had to take a chainsaw to my vine and take out whole sections of my unyielding vine because I am hard of hearing what He says!  I think I am on probation as to whether or not the Vine Committee (there are three of them) are planning to let me stay in the vineyard because I am such an eyesore.


It is really embarrassing because all the other vines get snipped and I get snapped! My last season fruit was despicable! My fruit was so puny I tried to hide it behind the leaves on my branches. I didn’t want anyone to see that my fruit was in such a sad state.


I am really trying because the alternative is devastating. I hear the Head Gardner comes in with His entourage and speaks a curse on the vines that do not produce. I have heard through the grapevine that He came through the vineyard and cursed the fig tree.  That sucker dried up and that was the last of him. I’m sure you heard about it!


I need some suggestions here because I find it difficult to go through all the pain of the pruning! I really don’t want pain. I usually just start kicking when I see the chainsaw coming rather than welcome it!


 I hear the other vines saying things like “Thank you Lord that you count me worthy to endure the suffering”; or, I hear others saying “The joy of the Lord is my strength!". Good heavens!


Not me, friend. I value each little section of my vine, that is, what is left of it. I like to hang here, producing nothing, looking good on the outside so I stand out among all the other vines, but the truth be known, I am empty and barren on the inside.


Listen! What is that? … I have to hide!  Heavens, it’s the Head Gardner!  Not again! I see the others with Him!  Does He never give up?  This must be the umpteenth time He has come here to prune me.


I’m afraid this is it.  I have had too many warnings!  He will surely put me out of commission this time. Why didn’t I just do what I was placed here on this earth to do? Why didn’t I just do the simple thing and produce fruit!  I’m sure He will curse me this time as He did the fig tree!  Man! How could I have been so brainless? I could have lived and thrived here on this earth abundantly!


Was it so hard to love, have joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, meekness, moderation, and faith?  Even through my most difficult times, that fruit would still my every storm! Why did I scream and kick through all my ordeals?


Please give me another chance, Lord of the Vines!  I promise... I promise I will...agghhhh…
no more pruning, all that is left is death!  I feel the vibration and the cutting!  It is agony.  But, I knew the consequences of not producing, I can’t say He never told me, I can’t say He never helped me, I can’t say It was His fault or somebody else’s fault.  It was me.  I am the vine with no brain.


Please! Please tell the other vines to keep welcoming and rejoicing in the pruning! Don't be foolish like me! I never should have...never.....should...have...nev...hav….I should have produced good fruit rather than hide from The Pruner!



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