Back in the Vines.....Year 2

Felt a little bit like deja vu this morning......out in the vines, early in the morning, before work, with RM.....the pruning has started.  What a task we have before us.

The past 5 days have seen the trellising go in.  We ordered it by faith as we didn't see a lot of growth in the plants, but as each day passes, more buds show up on the plants, so we are hopeful we haven't lost as many plants as first thought to the cold winter and wet spring.  It's actually quite exciting because now when we look out the window there is a real vineyard!  It's so beautiful to look at and to think that it is our's is amazing!  But, then, as soon as I get excited I get overwhelmed as there is so much to do and only a few of us to do it.  However, just like last year, it will get done one plant at a time.  This week the pruning, and then the weeding begins.  Every minute counts, so the two of us went out this morning and tonight we'll train a few of the older kids so that more of us can go out this week.

These vines are sure keeping us on our knees as it was a risk financially, but so far so good.  You can't help but draw on all the metaphors in the Bible about pruning as we prune the vines ourselves.  The logic is to stress the plant so that is puts all it's energy into one or two buds, instead of all the extraneous ones.  We take off all the unnecessary, but sometimes beautiful-looking leaves, in an attempt to have a stronger plant.  We prune it back almost right down to the base of the plant which just seems so extreme, but then we see amazing growth almost right away.  I'm supposed to be like that pruned plant.  I know this, but I sure don't like it.  I'm trying to see God's hand sooner and sooner.  I'm trying to see God even in the emergencies of life.  All the extra things in my life that I think I need that get taken away from me are all for my good and it is hopefully going to create great fruit in me perhaps not right away, but in the future.

Yesterday's sermon was about preaching the Word "with complete patience".  What I liked most about that phrase was the idea that not just "patience" is required, but "complete patience" when it comes to sharing with others.  I took the idea one step further and would suggest we need complete patience in all things where regular patience is all we want to try to exercise.  We need complete patience in the outcome of the vines.  We won't see any income for at least another year, maybe two.  I need complete patience with my kids, definitely not regular patience!  I need complete patience when it comes to trusting God for my future, my kids' future......Complete Patience is going to be my "go-to" expression this week, I can already tell.

It is now the first week of June and it feels so cold this morning, but I'm trusting it is eventually going to warm up.  It won't be long before everyone is complaining about the heat!