The Wreath

The following was given to me by an inquirer for Christmas. It was written in the middle of a wreath she made out of grape vines. It hangs in my office as a constant reminder to be patient.

A friend of mine whose grapevine died, had put it out for trash.

I said to her, I’ll take that vine and make something of that.

At home the bag of dead, dry vines looked nothing but a mess.

As I gently bent one vine, entwining ‘round and ‘round,

A rustic wreath began to form, potential did abound.

One vine would not go where it should, and anxious as I was,

I forced it so to change its shape, it broke – and what the cause?

If I had taken precious time to slowly change its form,

It would have made a lovely wreath, not a dead vine, broken, torn.

As I finished bending, adding blooms, applying trim,

I realized how that rustic wreath is like my life within;

You see, so many in my life have tried to make me change.

They’ve forced my spirit anxiously, I tried to rearrange.

But when the pain was far too great, they forced my fragile form.

I plunged far deeper in despair, my spirit, broken, torn.

Then God allowed a gentle one that knew of dying vines,

To kindly and patiently allow the Lord to take His time.

And though the vine has not yet formed a decorative wreath,

I know that with God’s servant’s help one day when Christ I meet,

He’ll see a finished circle, a perfect gift to Him;

It will be a final product, a wreath with all the trim.

So as you look upon this gift, the vine, round, and complete;

Remember God is using you to gently shape His wreath.

Dr. Neil

For Spanish, see http://www.ficmm.org/blog

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