I’ve been pretty discouraged the last year, even more so with dad’s passing. working on things for mom taking care of her, dealing with the challenges at work, loving my family as we settle into the empty nest years, holding on to my faith as I keep going. Dad put together a raspberry and blackberry patch which had grown wild and was full of dead growth. I do a lot of things for everyone else, but the tending of the vines I do for me, or rather my heart which is so slowly healing after sorrow flowed over it. The Holy Spirit whispers verses to me as I tend. I heard the dead vine that produces no fruit is cast into the fire as I cleaned the dead growth out and fed it to the fire. every branch that produces fruit is pruned so it will bear more fruit, I heard as I trimmed vines of broken parts and trellised them. The blackberries are all dead I think, and as I fight the ticks and weeds wondering if any of this is worth it, I ask God what is the point of all this, this life of trials and tribulations if Heaven is so much greater I’m ready to go I’m tired, and I hurt, God why? And as I continue tending I hear softly “To Grow”. So I go out and tend the vines every few days and look to see what God’s growing there and in my heart.