Devotional by Jenna Finkenhoefer

I’ve spent a large portion of my life working in vineyards, growing grapes and studying wine.  A few years ago, I bought a Vitis vinifera vine (wine grape) from a vineyard and have been cultivating it in my garden for several years.   If you haven’t grown grapes before- they thrive and produce the best fruit if they are grown in challenging conditions.  That is, ensuring the soil isn’t fertilized, they don’t get too much water, and pruning the foliage/trimming off excess grape bunches to encourage better fruit. 

This weekend, as I was pruning my vines for winter I began thinking about, much like grape vines, how difficult times in our lives are really an opportunity for growth and change. Our struggles can transform us, imparting newfound wisdom and strength. 

I don’t believe God deliberately gives us challenges to make our lives more difficult, but I do believe challenges are opportunities for us to learn and grow.  To persevere and to change who we are. 

In essence, to produce better “fruit”.