The vinedresser is never nearer the canes than when he is pruning them.
David Jeremiah, Christian author
Here in Wine Country, with harvest long past, and having shed their leaves, the Crazy Auntie-looking grapevine canes are being meticulously removed. In his wonderful book, A Vineyard Year, Joseph Novitski writes:
Pruning season is the only time of the year when [the grower] looks closely at each vine in turn, seeing the marks of disease or malnutrition and noting the need for a stake here, new ties there. . .”
The result? 60,000 acres of vine stock standing bare-naked in midwinter light. It is the season of total exposure. Now the vines enter into a period of rest.
Down through the ages, Christ-followers have understood the need for times of spiritual solitude. We, of course, don’t live in “the ages”. We are living through a worldwide pandemic that has ratcheted up anxiety and produced, for many people, deep feelings of vulnerability.
To make space in our lives, to sit for awhile in mindful silence allowing the Holy Spirit time to minister – that is the challenge. Let’s be honest: a truly distraction-free space has to be deliberately created. And in our social-media-saturated culture, we all know what “distraction-free” really means.
In her devotional for Lent, Holy Solitude, Heidi Haverkamp reminds us:
Choosing time alone, with little stimulation or distraction, can reveal things of Christ to us that we otherwise don’t hear or see.
She adds that one of the hardest things about practicing solitude as a spiritual discipline is – can you believe it? – enduring yourself. When we step aside, turn off the noise, and be alone with God, it may get a little uncomfortable. Why? “Sometimes,” she says, “the self is a burden.”
In deliberate silence, with no devices or snacks or lists, but only the Word and that spiritual hunger, the Holy Spirit is able to minister to those thin places and make us strong.
Emotions such as anger, fear, regret may surface. Then what? Here is David’s experience in Psalm 94:19:
When my troubling thoughts multiply within me,
Your consolations comfort my soul. (Tree of Life Version)
One commentator calls it the “branching of thoughts”. We all know the feeling of anxiety “branching” into our very being. The consoling work of the Holy Spirit can prune those nutrient-sapping canes.
But we must be willing to sit exposed under the tender eye of God in periods of solitude. Like Jesus: “So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.” Luke 5:16
Yes, all seasons of life vary in their demands. This has always been true. What is also true is that the things upon which we place the most value get priority. Carving out time, setting aside time – whatever it takes. His work in us in those precious moments will produce health and comfort and relief. This is a wondrous thing. And, remember: after pruning, the vines rest.
You, too.
How successful are you in finding time for spiritual solitude? If it is a challenge, what changes could you make? I’d love your response in “Leave a Comment” below.