I called it “The Vine Project.” It sounds like a cool, new program at church or a new group on Christian radio, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, it was just me, traipsing through our woods in rubber rain boots with a pair of borrowed gardening shears, trying to free my trees from thorny vines that had grown around them. After six years of unintentional neglect, these vines weren’t going down without a fight.
It started when my neighbor knocked on my door and informed me that I would lose many of the trees along our property line if I didn’t do something. I learned the gorgeous green foliage I had been admiring just that morning was more than just the beauty of spring. I also learned that it wasn’t just the trees along the property line, but almost every large tree on our property was covered in them.
The vine project was not a small task. It was days and weeks of work. Our woods are dense and I know it is home to plenty of snakes. In the busyness of raising children and doing life, we had never stopped to think about our trees. Our yardmen do a great job, so we just assumed it was all handled. To their credit, the few free-standing trees in the middle of our yard were in fact, vine free.
I didn’t know these vines were a problem. So much so, I had been admiring their bright green leaves just that morning, unaware that what I was admiring was not a sign of Spring life, but of a slow death.
How many times do I do this in my own life? My well-intentioned self gets tangled in the vines of this world. At first, they seem perfectly fine and natural. They promise to bring friendship, additional income, or just beauty to a place in my life that feels barren. I soon find; however, they drain away my time, energy and talents and offer little in return. My spirit is depleted, and I am tired and discouraged. They are distractions from my God-given purpose. A counterfeit good in exchange for God’s best.
In John 15:1, Jesus says, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.” True and authentic. Fruit-bearing and life-giving. Jesus knew this world would be filled with many vines trying to wrap themselves in our life. I think that is why he used the word “true.” We have a few wild muscadine grapevines growing on our property and I was careful to learn the difference and not to cut those away. We need guidance in what we prune.
I need the vine that connects me directly to the purpose and blessings of the kingdom of God. I need wisdom to distinguish between opportunities in my own life: those that bear fruit and the ones that steal time and talents. The courage to nurture the ones that connect me directly to the kingdom of God and the courage to snip away the ones that tangle my heart up in the cares of this world.
