Time and Attention • Luke 13

 Then He told them a story: 

"A man had an apple tree planted in his front yard. 

He came to it expecting to find apples, 

but there weren't any. He said to his gardener, 

'What's going on here? 

For three years now I've come to this tree 

expecting apples and not one apple have I found. 

Chop it down! 

Why waste good ground with it any longer?'

"The gardener said, 'Let's give it another year. 

I'll dig around it and fertilize, 

and maybe it will produce next year; 

it it doesn't, then chop it down.'" 

Luke 13:6-9

"Put your mind on your life with God. 

The way to life — to God! — 

is vigorous and requires your total attention."

Luke 13:24

•

Thank You, for Your patience, Lord.
You have not chopped me down yet.

Please help me to place my
whole attention on You.

Please help me to be willing
to take the time and the effort
needed to know You,
to grow in You,
to follow You.

Please give me patience for
those around me who
appear to be stagnant, barren, fruitless.

Help me to see myself in them.
Help me to encourage them to join me
in working the soil of our lives
so that together we can grow
in our love and knowledge of You -
producing life giving fruit in due season.