Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: GAMBLE (04/14/16)
-
TITLE: The Diligent Gardener | Previous Challenge Entry
By Marlene Bonney
04/20/16 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
But, he reminded himself, he had been hired to do a job that did not include standing idly and gawking at the surrounding acres of twisted vines and crawling, snagging branches--complicated mazes he was to simplify, assisted by several pair of recently sharpened pruning shears. The blades glistened and twinkled sparks under his hand as he worked in and out, lopping off dead or diseased branches from the grapevines. His boss was the most particular gardener in the valley’s regions, so Nathan used his tools with meticulous precision, careful not to nick any fruit-bearing branch at its base in the process. It was always a risky procedure, this pruning away at the fruitful twines, but Nathan believed in the eventual bountiful harvest of even more flowering abundance because of it.
Selecting the most vigorous and cutting the others back flush to the main trunk, Nathan continued on. It seemed, as he worked, that the pruned appendages felt pain and resisted against his labor; he talked to them in the still air, even as he lopped and trimmed.
“Don’t worry, little one, you’ll see this will all turn out better for you in the long run, even if it stagnates you for a short while. . .”
Nathan knew, from the advice of fellow workers, that there was still a chance that a pruned branch might strain against the process—like a cocooned butterfly struggling for air—and become fruitless so that it would have to be cut off and thrown away the following season. It was like each of them had a mind of their own no matter how careful he was and it always hurt him when he had to cut them out later.
“You have such potential, little man; just cling to the vine and you’ll weather through it!”
In spite of the approaching winter chill, by afternoon the sun beat down unmercifully, so Nathan removed his sweat-soaked shirt and took refuge under a nearby shade tree for awhile. He gazed at the long trail of creeping vines he had tended and smiled, imagining next year’s yield. There were piles of discarded branches that he now must gather and burn at day’s end, and this saddened him.
“What a waste! If only. . .”
He returned to the job at hand, cutting away the branches with lesions or sap on the wood with grapes that would not ripen, mold, or discolored leaves added to his burn piles. Tending and calling each branch by name as he tenderly gave attention to their individual little twists and bends, he watered the more stubborn and vulnerable with his tears.
“Cling to the vine, Martha, it will never fail you. . .don’t give up, Daniel, the best is yet to come. . .believe, Samuel, believe and trust and hold fast to this vine. . .”
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:1-8 NIV.
We, the individual branches, have a choice to cling to the vine, or take the risk of pulling away and living our lives without Him, gambling on the empty promises the world has to offer.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
I enjoyed this very much.
Blessings~