Then one day it changed its mind.
It stopped sending out new shoots, there was no more fruit, the leaves began to yellow… and then they fell off. Soon it was almost naked and I decided it was time for the axe. Before the axe however, everything above ground had to be removed. Starting from its peripheral growth, I cut and cut for hours, dead wood and green wood alike. As I came closer to the butt of the vine a strange thing happened. I began to feel compassion. The vine had served us well. It had adorned our fence with a beautiful green canopy, it had cooled our back yard during the hot summers and it had been outrageously generous with its large golden fruit! About a metre from its stump I decided it deserved another chance, so I ceased my cutting. I fed it, gave it some extra TLC and then I waited…and waited…and waited. For the longest time it just sat there, doing absolutely nothing. I checked often for new growth but as time went on I gave up checking and wondered if I’d made the wrong decision. Winter came and went. Still nothing.
Then it happened…a new shoot.
Aah, the thought of lush green growth and sweet golden fruit again. I couldn’t wait. But I had to wait. The growth was so slow! There were no flowers, just leaves and more leaves. I was disappointed. Summer came and went without a single bud and then winter stripped some of its precious life-giving leaves. Once more disappointment set in, and again I wondered if I had made the wrong decision.
When the warmer days returned, it seemed the vine remembered that Spring was a time for veracious growth. Before long it had recaptured huge stretches of the fence which was once more covered with its large glossy leaves. As summer progressed I once again had to train soft new shoots to join the rest of the flourishing growth. It seemed to be growing before my very eyes.
Halfway through summer I had almost given up on fruit for another season when one day, as I hung washing on the line, I noticed a splash of white amongst the green. A flower at last, and then more flowers and it wasn’t long before fruit began appearing on the vine once more. Oh the joy of patient waiting!
This experience spoke to me on several levels. Firstly it spoke of God’s compassion and His patience towards me. During the seasons of my life when I’ve wandered and didn’t operate within His purposes for my life, He didn’t give up on me or cut me off, He just waited. And then when I drew close to Him again, He was there - ready to forgive, ready to give me another chance. He’s sometimes referred to as ‘God of the second chance’ but I love the title ‘God of another chance’.
Then there’s John 15:1 ‘He is the vine, we are the branches’. He’s the wise gardener who cuts off branches that don’t bear fruit and prunes those that do, so they will bear even more fruit. ‘Bearing fruit’ begins with my heart and I know God’s desire is to transform me into the image of Christ so that I will represent Him well and bear fruit in this broken world. I often need pruning.
Thinking about the pruning times in my life, it’s sometimes easier to see God’s hand in retrospect rather than in events as they happen. This is especially true in the difficult times. Leaning heavily on God, I have asked for His reassurance, His guidance, His comfort. His compassionate and often very specific response has born fruit in my faith walk. Hearing an unmistakable response from the God of the universe moved my heart and that moved me in my faith. It built a little more history with my Heavenly Father. Changes in my heart and growth in my faith will lead to fruit. Unfortunately, like my passion fruit, both are slow.
Although my faith journey is a slow one, my Master Gardener is patient, He showers me with grace and compassion, undeserved and outrageously generous grace and compassion. I know I often disappoint Him but He nurtures and He waits. He’s the wise Gardener who knows just what I need. He knows that I need Him!
