Different Than I Thought

“You only get new growth on newly grown vines.” – Jay Cooper

Different Than I Thought

I was just leaving a home and writing a note in my car.  Jay saw me there and came near so we could talk after we had toured his daughter’s new home together.  We had just met, so I didn’t know he is a master gardener.

“I’m teaching a class on pruning grapes at my house on Friday.  Would you like to come?”  Jay said as soon as I lowered car window.

We were talking inside the house, during the walk-through, and I had casually mentioned that I had had recently planted a small vineyard and had driven past his house to see how he had installed his.  His daughter had told me that his vines were well done and I had no experience at all.  So, I welcomed Jay’s invitation warmly while looking forward to getting to know him on Friday.

Jay and I stood talking before the other participants arrived on the day of his class.  He was giving me background to bring me up to speed.  Then, when the others arrived, we walked to his vineyard, sheers in hand, and he began to teach us about pruning grape vines.

After short while, Jay handed each one of us clippers and he asked that we begin to prune ourselves.  It was under his direction, of course.  One can never be too careful in giving a novice free reign with a sharp object!

When it was my turn I said, “This is completely different than I thought!  I would have never imagined that this is the process!”

You see, what I learned was that grapes only grow on a vine’s new growth.  So, Jay taught us to prune the vines back to the stock while leaving a couple of spurs where the gardener wanted new growth to launch.

“Have you ever seen a huge grape vine with very few grapes, only at the fringes?  It’s because the gardener doesn’t understand how a grape vine produces fruit!”  Jay said.  Then he showed us how to recognize last year’s growth, what the wood looks like, how easily it is identified and where to cut it.  “Once you understand the process and what to prune it’s fast and easy!”  He continued.

As he spoke I listened.  Jay was teaching me more than how to prune grape vines.  He was teaching me a universal principle!  It was at that very moment when I realized I wasn’t there to learn about pruning grape vines alone.  I was there to learn how to live a more productive life myself!

If you and I aren’t learning, actively growing in our life, then our ability to live fruitful, productive lives is greatly diminished.

I pruned a vine back while Jay watched.  I thought of the old wood in my own life.  What do I need to trim so I can grow in my life?  Snip.  I moved on to the next vine.

I evaluated that vine.  Snip.  I see, I said to myself.  I have lots of areas where I need to focus so my life can bear fruit in ways I hadn’t imagined before.  Snip!

Jay’s class was different, and about more than I thought.  The universal principle he taught me was different than I thought.  Hum, who would have thought?