Fruitless or Dormant?

Read--Luke 13: 6-9 There are times in life when we struggle to see any fruit being borne of our life. Perhaps our spiritual life is dry and barren and we feel little to no connection to God. Perhaps other aspects of life seem to be unrewarding, or our efforts in other ventures seem to be ineffective or lacking in purpose. What do we do in those times? We live in a world where the value of something is judged by is functionality or usefulness. Those things that don't function as they should or are not useful are quickly and easily cast aside in favor of those things which will function properly or will be useful. I have seen so many people cast aside a relationship with God because they felt as if they were never drawing closer to God, no matter how hard they tried. I've talked with folks who were contemplating ending a marriage because they were "getting nothing out of it". Our tendancy is to get rid of those things that "don't work as they should". This is the exact attitude of the owner of the fig tree--the tree wasn't producing as it should have been, so it was merely taking up space that could be occupied by a tree that would produce. Only the pleading of the gardener saved the tree. The gardener had an almost intimate relationship with that tree; he had cared for it and nurtured it and wanted so desperately for it to sprout and produce. So he pleaded for one more chance to work the soil around the tree and nurture it some more, to see if it would indeed bear fruit. The gardener bought that tree one more chance! So it is with God and us. In those times when we don't feel as if we are producing fruit, when our spiritual lives are barren and our relationships are lacking, God's grace is there to give us another chance. God's grace is there to work the soil of life and relationships, to nurture and to care and love on us. And God is patient with us! There are times when plants and soils are dormant--they do not produce because they need nourishment or are exhausted from previous seasons of growth. They need time to simply "be" so that they might be replenished. We are the same way--there are times when a period of fruitlessness is simply dormancy and our souls are waiting to be nourished so that more growth may occur. Thanks be to God that God never, never, gives up hope that we might produce fruit in our lives as a response to God's grace. God, thank you for never giving up on us. In those times of dormancy, we pray you would nurture us back to health. When we feel fruitless, remind us of your grace that stirs the soil that is our life. Lord, we want to produce fruit for you and we need your help to do that. We give ourselvs to your grace in Jesus' name, AMEN.