“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 so that it will be even more fruitful….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.”
John 15:1-2, 6

My wife is the gardener in our family. When I was growing up I came to have a distinct distaste for yard work. It seemed that every Saturday it interrupted my plans to enjoy a full day of play, entertainment, relaxing, or pretty much doing whatever I wanted. So it was somewhat of a disappointment when I discovered in my reading about ancient Christian spirituality that working in the garden, or any form of manual labor, was suggested as a means of assisting in the spiritual transformation process. To be honest, it made me flinch a little with some PTGS (post traumatic gardening syndrome). I have matured a bit and will assist my wife periodically in her gardening endeavors, which has probably been valuable to my journey in some way I cannot yet quantify. I do appreciate the results of her work as I see the flowers, the vegetables, the vines and trees that populate our yard. There is a beauty in what God has created in this world that cannot be surpassed.

The garden has helped me to be more aware of the cultivated space of my own life as well. As I sat the other day in our back yard I noticed one of the planter boxes that had been seeded last spring. Most of what had been nourished and growing had long since passed it’s prime and the planter box was now populated by wild and un-kept plants, along with a healthy selection of weeds, signaling the end of the season. Looking at the box I could see the wire trellis that was there to train and support the growing vegetation. There were vines wrapped around it still attempting to make their way up further toward the sunlight, but they were being impeded by the thick undergrowth of weeds competing for the nourishment and space of the soil. The trellis was there to provide guidance and support to the vine, but it was hindered by the fact that the planter box had been left untended for too long and the weeds had now taken over.

My life is much like the planter box, which provides space for the right things to grow. Spiritual disciplines, like the trellis, provide potential support and guidance for the growth, but unless the box is tended they have little value. Left untended, the weeds and wild plants will take over and what once had a symmetry, beauty and functionality will look increasingly overwhelmed and unproductive. Here in also lies the problem with our culture. With all our “time saving” inventions and cutting edge technology, if left untended, the choices we face everyday can create little more than weeds and wild plants displacing the very space that allows roots to grow deep in the soil of God’s love. We are attempting to accomplish more with less time and space to breathe and grow. Lately that is the way my life has felt, wild and overwhelmed. There is so much going on, happening in so many different places and directions, that I’m not sure how to respond and instead sit paralyzed staring at the weeds.

When I have taken the time to pay attention to the space, cultivation and nourishment of the soil of my life there is a far better chance that my life will be prepared to produce healthy fruit. Periodically I need the appropriate gardener to remove the weeds, prune the branches and water the soil so that growth can occur. The Gospel of John in chapter fifteen describes God as the master Gardener who knows how to best tend the soil, seed and branches of my life so that they will produce healthy and plentiful fruit. When I entrust the garden of my life to God’s perfect wisdom and care my true purpose is recovered and good fruit is produced. This only happens when I choose to abide in the life and love of Jesus, the true vine. It is there, abiding in Jesus, that I will flourish, filled and nourished with His life. It is the first and most basic rung of the trellis, the practice of remaining attached to Jesus, which is nourished through regular times of fellowship with Him. As I prayerfully, listen to His Word and respond in obedience to His direction, my life will be shaped and transformed more and more into His image and likeness. It is His intended destiny for me!

I may not presently love gardening, but I’m seeing the necessity of giving attention to the appropriate cultivation of soil and seed. I may become a farmer yet, given another millennium or so. May the music encourage you to abide in the presence of the One who is life and love.