The Wreath

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,

But 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 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 servants’ 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.

-By Kathleen Viaes-

“I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the branches: he that abideth in Me, and I in Him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5