Sweet Lessons in Sad Places

Sweet Lessons in Sad Places

It was fall and as the weather was getting colder with potentially stressful events approaching, a relative thought it would be great to have some homemade grape juice to avoid sickness during the flu season. The juice was intended to be healthy and not made with just any grapes, but fresh grapes that were personally selected and handpicked off the vine.

Now it had been years since I went to an orchard to pick fruit for canning purposes and I admit I wasn’t too keen on going. There were so many other things in life I seemed seriously behind on that needed my attention, but because I was asked to help with this project, I decided to go along so the picking processes wouldn’t take as long as it would otherwise with less help.

When I got to the orchard, I wasn’t too close to one of the ladies who was managing the place when she was apparently pointing out the best areas to go grape picking to another person but I thought it wouldn’t be too hard to figure it out myself. Just based on my own logic it seemed the patches of grapevines that looked the most green and lively would naturally have the most grapes.

But that wasn’t the case. As I searched the vines, I noticed it was the parts of the grape vines with the scantest leaves which from a distance didn’t seem to be doing great that actually had the most clusters of grapes when I got up close. I’m not a grape expert. I’m not sure if it was because the plant was investing most of its resources into the heavy clusters of fruit in those places which resulted in less leaf growth or if other fruit pickers just didn’t think those areas looked very promising so many grapes were left behind, or if maybe the reason was a little of both or something else altogether.

Whatever the reason was, it really stood out to me that the parts of the plant that seemed to be the most hopeless actually held the most hope for having what I was looking for while what looked good from a distance didn’t. The thought came to me that sometimes it is like that with life too. “So, since we have come to be considered righteous by God because of our trust, let us continue to have shalom with God through our Lord, Yeshua the Messiah. Also through him and on the ground of our trust, we have gained access to this grace in which we stand; so let us boast about the hope of experiencing God’s glory. But not only that, let us also boast in our troubles; because we know that trouble produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope; and this hope does not let us down, because God’s love for us has already been poured out in our hearts through the Ruach HaKodesh who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:1-5 CJB)

The most seemingly lifeless worthless parts of your life can also bear the most fruit. The grape picking reminded me of the words of Yeshua. “I am the real vine, and my Father is the gardener. Every branch which is part of me but fails to bear fruit, he cuts off; and every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes, so that it may bear more fruit. Right now, because of the word which I have spoken to you, you are pruned. Stay united with me, as I will with you — for just as the branch can’t put forth fruit by itself apart from the vine, so you can’t bear fruit apart from me.” (John 15:1-4 CJB) . Remember just because your leaves in life may not look great right now doesn’t mean God isn’t doing anything. It is easy to doubt our connection with God when things don’t look good, but have faith.

Picture originally found here

Related Articles

More From Prose

Belev Echad

Belev Echad (“One Heart” in Hebrew) is an organization that brings wounded Israeli Defense…
Belev Echad

Uncle Louie's Santa Clause

Uncle Louie was loved by his nephews and nieces, by his friends, and everybody that knew him.…
Uncle Louie's Santa Clause

My Rabbi

I really appreciate my Rabbi. I asked this man so many questions the mere fact he could…
My Rabbi

False Assurance

It was rainy weather for days but since the rain itself wasn’t very heavy I felt I could stay…
False Assurance

Joshua Sink

From as early as Joshua Sink could remember he had a passion for flying. While children…
Joshua Sink

Havdalah

I’ve written in a previous article about Reuben Caplin (Ruby), my voice teacher and choral…
Havdalah

Conquering the Monster of Fear

Years ago the picture on the front of a church bulletin depicted a lovely bird perched on the…
Conquering the Monster of Fear
Surges of Hope

Surges of Hope

As I write this, not only do I write it for you, but for me as well. This has been a…
Surges of Hope
Sidney Robboy

Sidney Robboy

Sidney Robboy was born in Russia during the cruel anti-Semitic pogroms of the Czars. When…
Sidney Robboy

Silly and Sick

When I was a little girl I loved all sorts of pets. I had pet potato-bugs, pet spiders, pet…
Silly and Sick

Forgiveness

Three years ago, a friend said something to me that hurt very deeply. I was speechless. I could…
Forgiveness

The Time I Hated God

That period of time may have lasted about a year or so, but the amount of time isn’t that…
The Time I Hated God

The Overcomer

During the time that I spent with the children at the orphanage in Mexicali Mexico I was…
The Overcomer

East 105th Street

I grew up on East 105th Street, in Cleveland, Ohio. I went to Gracemont Elementary school. My…
East 105th Street

Keep on Loving

“How did you and Duane manage to have such a loving and close family?” Kathy asked following…
Keep on Loving

Bubbe Brocha

One of the greatest women to have ever come into my life as I was growing up was my great…
Bubbe Brocha

Publish the Menu module to "offcanvas" position. Here you can publish other modules as well.
Learn More.


donation