Vineyards

Last year, I made it to northern California. Greeted with acres upon acres of rolling vineyards the setting was incredible. Green spaces are my idea of a recharging vacation. The memorable parts of the trip are the people my sister and I got to know at the vineyards. Women and men that roll up their sleeves in the middle of the night to harvest. Vinedressers, in the official sense of the word, but we got to call them David and Wendy. By the end of the trip, I sensed the theme of community and passion among the smaller vineyards. For a small vineyard, all hands are stacked together from prepping soil to plant new vines to testing pH levels of the acidity of the grapes. Vinedressers let no detail slip by. They are attentive and anticipate needs sometimes before the vines react. What a beautiful picture.

In my mind, I can see the dusty drive up to the first winery. The dust, rocks, and dry soil surprised me. I knew nothing about vineyards and wine making prior to the trip. Hence, the trip. Each winery proudly displays a batch size of their acreage of thick, hearty vines for visitors like me to walk through and take pictures of the tiny grapes. Can you believe how much the tiny grapes grow into large plump clusters by the time harvest comes? During my visit the grapes were the size of Nerds candy and harvest season was only four to five months away. My initial response was how many grapes does it take to produce a glass of wine? And second question, David why do I see no signs of stress on your face? Because he knows the process. David has watched the process from start to finish for years. He knows the Nerds grapes are right on track. On so many levels my mind is captivated by the entire process at the first winery.  

The vinedresser in my life is better than David and Wendy. They are wonderful people, but my vinedresser is the Creator. He is the origin of all things. God is attentive to things seen and unseen. As the vinedresser, He knows when branches will flourish or wither. He controls the change in seasons. And I can testify from personal experience and the Story of God I read, He is faithful to cultivate and prune. Before we left the mountain vineyard where Wendy works, I asked what is the secret to produce the best grapes for the best wine? And it boils down to strong vines. She explained how the vines nourish the branches that grow the incredible grapes. Again, what a beautiful picture.

Even though the trip is still vivid in my mind as much as the imagery of the vines, I have felt myself pull away from God this year. I feel like a branch cut back from the vine that lost the rhythm of rest and renewal in His presence. And then I remember the role of the branch is to trust the vine to nourish and the vinedresser to care for His vineyard. But, why does this season feel dried up? I know the secret of a fruitful branch is to be content and satisfied in the vine, but I doubt some days that a harvest is coming. And in the next breath I am still amazed at the patience of God, with me. He shows up every day. He is attentive. He controls the change in seasons. He is not stressed at what Nerds-size fruit I feel like I am producing. He is the One that whispers to me, “you are right on track.”

What about you?