When we were in Tuscany in September, I saw grape vines pruned back drastically to about three feet, and above them, masses of plump abundant grapes, black, green, purple.
Grape vines grow as tall as you let them. We have some growing in our conservatory and the side of our barn, which are 10-15 feet.
These, however, were cut back savagely, sending all the energy upwards, and look at the fruit!
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I wish I had taken in this visual lesson earlier. How much more productive I would have been.
But I have learnt it now.
Cut back the inessentials, so that you can be fruitful in the essentials, the one thing you have been put on earth to do.
Jesus at the end of his life said, “I have done the work you have given me to do.” (John 17:4)
So cut back even the good things; the volunteerism; your social media friendships, so that the work he has given you to do, the fruit you want to produce, gleams more beautifully.
Ask yourself: Is this activity the work God has given me to do? If not, even if it is a good thing–taking a turn at leading the Bible study or serving on church teams and rotas–leave it for someone else, for whom it is perhaps the work God has given her to do.
* * *
Those vines struck me like a dart to the heart. Since then, I’ve been pruning—my possessions (getting rid of at least one thing a day) and my commitments. I have even been pruning relationships with negative friends, who drag me down and depress me, relationships I had not let go because of sentimentality and familiarity.
The fruitful vine is pruned so that it will be even more fruitful. One of those counter-intuitive truths which run like grace-notes through the Gospels.
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I, too, get myself too busy…as evidenced by my haphazard reading of your blog at late. However, I find that if I don’t fill my day entirely with productive and Godly tasks and pack it as full as I can, I end up with idle time that I unfortunately waste with things like watching TV, eating, etc. I therefore keep myself busier than most like, but I’m a doer and things like reading books and sitting quietly or gardening for long hours bore me and put me to sleep. I will always need to stay busy or fall into a cycle of endless TV watching and eating. Last Sunday, I ran Children’s Chapel, taught Sunday school, then attended church myself. After that, I rushed around getting the church ready and set up for our big theatrical presentation of Britten’s Noah’s Flood…I do the lighting, stage assembly and all the tech stuff. Then I drove the back roads to this wonderful community theater to be a stage hand for closing matinee of a show I’d worked on. After, we struck the set, costumes, everything and I blew out of there, went back to church to tear down all the lights and staging from the Flood, and then went out for the cast party. When I got home, I did some sewing for another show I’m working on. But I kept on my diet and didn’t get sucked into TV, and was just tired enough to sleep well. So, I think the commitment load and busy-ness depends on the person.
Am I too busy to give each thing its due attention? Yes, I’m a bit busier than even I like to be at times, but not really. It is an amazing exercise in discipline to be fully present to each job in the moment and not be distracted by worrying about the next.
I find that as long as the tasks are feeding my soul, it works for me, but if they’re not, then I get cranky and bent. However, my temperament is my own and not generally shared by others. I think that God calls us each with different gifts…mine is not the quiet contemplative life and I often envy those whose life is blessed by such a gift.
One thing you do mention that I agree with is by doing too much, we are often not letting others help out (we leave nothing for anyone else to do). Which is why about 20 years ago, I decided that I would not do any one thing for too long. When I agreed to teach Sunday school, it was for 5 years…period. I am now training my replacement. When I took on the sound amplification ministry, it was only for three years…I’m heading now into starting a Verger’s guild (we’ve never had a verger) because our church is too big now not to have one and I’ll likely only do that for 5-10 years. Oftentimes people stagnate in ministries and even more often, form cliques or fiefdoms…in moving from ministry to ministry, I find that I learn a ton, and keep myself from falling into that trap. Enough for now…gotta head out soon to play handbells for service this morning!
Yes, it must be temperament and stage of life. I would be depressed and miserable if I did as much as you mentioned, even in a week. I have served in church, taught Bible studies, Sunday school, coffee rotas, done set-up, visiting, taking meals around, helped out in school but now, I just serve the larger body of Christ through my writing (or at least, I hope I do). I am enjoying just doing one thing, whole-heartedly, and taking on more than this sort of depresses me.
But I’ve only gained the ability to focus so single-mindedly in middle-age. When I was younger, I volunteered or often was pressured into all sorts of churchly and school ministries, some of which I was interested in, and some of which I had no interest in, and didn’t get much done of the real work of my life, which i longed to do. Enjoying the pruned life for now.
Don’t feel too sorry for me,however. I was in London all day yesterday, invited to a posh Christian New Media dinner, and attended the related conference before it. And was in Birmingham at a Conference on Thursday and Friday. And COrnwall the week before. But I hope to keep this week quiet, uncluttered and clear!
I am hoping for a pruned life phase…my youngest is still young (12), so it’s a ways off. But honestly, I don’t think God has that in store for me ever. He keeps calling me to these wonderful, but time-consuming ministries. Starting up a previously unheard of verger program at my 500 family church? I guess I just need another hole in my head :). I do say “no” a lot – if the ministry isn’t something I’m über passionate about, it gets a thumbs down and no amount of pressure will sway me. Well, except God-pressure – LOL.
I do envy you the pruned life, but I get a lot of negative feedback from God when I attempt to prune my life. So, it’s back to insanity for me…maybe when I’m older, I’ll get a chance to sit and read and maybe write a blog or something. I am soooo grateful that you are called to the worship-filled and contemplative life because through that, and your resulting blog, I get to ingest my Godly contemplations in perfectly-sized bite-size chunks…wonderful for my lifestyle! Through your posts, I get to glimpse your contemplative life and read your inspirations -exactly what I need!
My youngest is 14. I am sure you’ll write a wonderful blog!
I too have found that having “too much” can clutter and cause distraction from the important things of life. I’ll try your method, one thing a day. That’s not too drastic and may snowball as I get into the process.
Yes, I get it done by Thursday, the day the cleaner comes. Then if I haven’t got it done already, I quickly get rid of 7 things. And if I do more, I don’t carry it over. The first year is easy because I have so many books to get rid of. The second and third years may be harder.
Surely the busyness of this life is the sin of this age. My sister is throwing at least one thing out every day. I’m working towards that. Saturday, my credit union is having a paper shredding day. Thanks for the encouragement.
Yup. However, the more things and commitments we prune, the more we can focus on the work God has given us to do! 🙂