Wisteria

The following is an excerpt from a letter written several years ago to someone who was discouraged in their struggle with sin.  I post it today, the first day of Spring, as we look forward to the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Praise His Holy Name!  He has freed us from the power of sin!!

Wisteria is beautiful in the Spring.  It’s fragrant, lavender flowers and long running vines make it a  canopy of loveliness in many a garden.  Even after the blooms are gone, it is green and lush continuing now as a canopy of shade on a hot summer day.  But left to itself, it can take over large areas of gardens and trees leaving a trail of destruction hidden only by it’s rich foliage. Yes, wisteria is beautiful on the surface, but without proper pruning, it chokes the life out of everything that becomes entangled with it.

I began work on grooming my backyard.  I knew the wisteria was back there.  It had originated in my neighbor’s yard.  She had planted it long years ago as a small bush.  Now it had taken the woods behind her house and had made its way to the area behind my yard.  I was not prepared for the damage ahead.

The young, tender vines of the wisteria were like beckoning hands reaching out.  They reach out and wrap around a plant or tree.  These vines are easy to snip.  I could do it with my hands but I used my clippers.  They were everywhere trying to take over all plants behind our chain-linked fence.  I followed the vine back to its source.  It was not young and tender.  It was thick and tough.  I had to use my saw on those.  They had entwined a tree but no damage was done.  My saw released the tree from certain death.

As I traced further back, there was what looked like a small tree trunk, five to six inches in diameter.  My little saw was not going to work here.  It had wound itself into our chain-linked fence.  The fence was ruined in that spot.  I would have to wait for my husband to use his chain saw on this little trunk of destruction.

Back behind my fence was yet another tree that had been severely affected.  As I approached this tree, I realized it was beyond hope.  It was completely dead.  The thick brown vine was gnarled and twisted much like a boa constrictor and had choked the life from the tree.  It was so dead and dry, I could not cut it with my saw either.  But further down where it had rotted, my saw easily cut through.

Some trees were spared.  Some lost a limb or two.  Some lost their life.  What is my point?  The beautiful wisteria is much like sin.  In its appearance, it’s lovely, innocent, beckoning, fragrant and lush.  However, it will wound itself into whatever gets in its way and cause destruction.  My little saw was like the Sword of the Spirit (Word of God).  It cut into the thick vine until it was no more.  For one tree, it was too late.  But other trees and shrubs were freed from the destructive force.  They lost parts (painful) but once healed, they will be good as new and continuing to grow.  My arm became tired.  I wanted to quit many times.  But I had the drive to keep on through the fatigue.  The goal kept me motivated.  The little saw did what it was suppose to do.

The Bible is there to be used to cut through the sin that you have been entangled.  It is not going to be an easy process.  It will take effort, perseverance, patience (with others and yourself) and discipline.  Christ does not expect you to do it on your own.  He is there for you when you call Him.  If it takes moment by moment calling and He will be there for you.  Do not be deceived that He gets tired of hearing you call.  Sanctification is a process and our “gardens” are to be kept pruned in order to reflect the beauty of  our
loving and personal Creator.