“He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.” (JN 15:2)
A week ago, my twins came home with grass growing out of a plastic cup. I think they were a little taken aback by how excited I was. But in a year of everything looking different, these plastic cups were something I recognized.
I remembered them from when my oldest was in kindergarten. He also grew some blades of grass in a plastic cup. All three of my boys were so proud of these 8-10 green thin lines waving in the slight breeze. I could just hear their hearts saying: “I did that!”
They were also proud to share their knowledge with me about the grass. Of course. “Mom, if you trim it down a little, it’ll grow back. And maybe if we put it outside an animal will get to eat off it. And it’ll just grow and grow and grow!”
They held those plastic cups tight like they were treasure.
On the way to the car, however, the strong wind caused them to lose control of the cups and a few blades broke in the mayhem. Noticing that their creation was now marred, the twins got upset. All the way home they lamented the “death” of their little piece of nature.
When they brought the cups into the house though, my husband calmly explained to them how grass works. “Whether we cut it down or it breaks on its own, with care and sunlight it does grow back.” This cheered up the boys as they found a perfect windowsill to store their grass so it could grow.
Today’s Gospel is one of my favorites. Truth be told, I am terrible at gardening. I never remember to prune anything… or water anything until it’s too late. But it gives me enormous comfort that God never forgets. God always is pruning and water and showering blessings so that our branches can bear tremendous fruit.
My prayer this morning is that you are able to feel the care the Divine Gardener has for you. May you feel yourself restored by God’s offering of water and light and the stability of the vine today.
