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| Vineyard in Durnstein, Austria |
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| Closeup of Vines |
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| The Hills of Durnstein, Austria |
On a recent trip to Europe, we visited many sights on our Danube River cruise. Among those were the quaint town of Durnstein, Austria surrounded by vineyards and apricot trees.As we stepped into the world of yesteryear, we experienced a delightful sight of a large number vineyards with beautiful growing grapes. We learned that the vines are carefully nurtured and lovingly cared for by generations of families. Generation after generation has learn the art of caring for these precious vines and a passion to grow grapes.
New vineyards are planted at the top of the hill on a slope from cuttings from the older more mature plants explained by the vineyard keeper. He was thrilled to explain that vines lasted from 30 to 80 years with the older vines, the ones over 30 years of age, producing the best flavor.
The vines are pruned so that dead diseased branches do not destroy the vine or keep it from producing much fruit. New plants are grafted from mature plants. This constant pruning and replanting keeps the vines and the vineyard alive. So it is that the vineyard is always in a stage of life: dying and replanting to new life.
Our Christian life is under the careful watch of the vineyard keeper or gardener. Our life is carefully designed as to where each plant is to be placed, grafted into families, places, careers, service, etc. that touch others and sometimes produce new life in Christ. He nurtures us never leaving us alone; protects us from harm and things that are not according to his plan and yet still allowing us our freewill to make decisions for ourselves; provides sunshine and rain at just the right time; inspects those diseased spots and makes them known to us; dotes over us as a loving Father would do; and prunes to make sure we are healthy fruit and rid of blotches, disease of sin and worldly desires. He provides a way for us to become that healthy fruit through sending us His Son Jesus to die and to be resurrected from the dead so that our sins would be forgiven for all of eternity and He sends the Holy Spirit to live within us to give us guidance. Jesus said this of His Father, Himself and His disciples:
John 15:1-8 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful... 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.... 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
May you become a disciple that bears much fruit according to God's plan for your life.
