Lonely pruning (John 15:1-8; 1 John 4:7-21; Psalm 22:25-31)
Sometimes it seems that the vine grower has prepared the vineyard and gone off to a remote island where things are warmer and nicer.
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I wandered in a vineyard on a slope leaning toward a lake. There was a skiff of snow on the ground and the gray sky overhead seemed to come close, pushing down toward me with clouds that settled across the entire face of the water. It seemed to be wilderness, or at least it felt that way because I was alone. It was stark.
