“凡结果子的，他就修理干净，使枝子结果子更多。”（约翰福音十五章2节）
有一个神的孩子，正希奇像她这样爱主的信徒，为什么神还要使她落在百般的试炼中呢？有一次，她走过一个葡萄园，看见里边有许多的葡萄藤，未经修剪枝子繁多，叶子茂盛，四周长了无数的杂草，地上堆了许多的枯叶；显然是一个完全没有人经营的荒园；当她站着沉思的时侯，神就光照她，给她看见一段顶宝贝的信息。
“我所爱的孩子啊，你是不是在希奇你一生的遭遇呢？你看这个葡萄园，从其中学习一个功课吧。园丁不替它修剪不结果的枝子，不摘去不需要的叶子，不除去害虫和杂草，他随它去；因为收获的季节已过，再做也没有用。拥有免于试炼的自由的条件是相对来说没有多少用处。你要不要我停止修理你的生命呢？你要不要我把你放在一边呢？”她的心受了安慰，大声说道：“不！不！”——狄克生
And every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit (John 15:2).
A child of God was dazed by the variety of afflictions which seemed to make her their target. Walking past a vineyard in the rich autumnal glow she noticed the untrimmed appearance and the luxuriant wealth of leaves on the vines, that the ground was given over to a tangle of weeds and grass, and that the whole place looked utterly uncared for; and as she pondered, the Heavenly Gardener whispered so precious a message that she would fain pass it on:
"My dear child, are you wondering at the sequence of trials in your life? Behold that vineyard and learn of it. The gardener ceases to prune, to trim, to harrow, or to pluck the ripe fruit only when he expects nothing more from the vine during that season. It is left to itself, because the season of fruit is past and further effort for the present would yield no profit. Comparative uselessness is the condition of freedom from suffering. Do you then wish me to cease pruning your life? Shall I leave you alone?"
And the comforted heart cried, "No!"
--Homera Homer-Dixon
It is the branch that bears the fruit,
That feels the knife,
To prune it for a larger growth,
A fuller life.
Though every budding twig be lopped,
And every grace
Of swaying tendril, springing leaf,
Be lost a space.
O thou whose life of joy seems reft,
Of beauty shorn;
Whose aspirations lie in dust,
All bruised and torn,
Rejoice, tho' each desire, each dream,
Each hope of thine
Shall fall and fade; it is the hand
Of Love Divine
That holds the knife, that cuts and breaks
With tenderest touch,
That thou, whose life has borne some fruit
May'st now bear much.
--Annie Johnson Flint
有一个神的孩子，正希奇像她这样爱主的信徒，为什么神还要使她落在百般的试炼中呢？有一次，她走过一个葡萄园，看见里边有许多的葡萄藤，未经修剪枝子繁多，叶子茂盛，四周长了无数的杂草，地上堆了许多的枯叶；显然是一个完全没有人经营的荒园；当她站着沉思的时侯，神就光照她，给她看见一段顶宝贝的信息。
“我所爱的孩子啊，你是不是在希奇你一生的遭遇呢？你看这个葡萄园，从其中学习一个功课吧。园丁不替它修剪不结果的枝子，不摘去不需要的叶子，不除去害虫和杂草，他随它去；因为收获的季节已过，再做也没有用。拥有免于试炼的自由的条件是相对来说没有多少用处。你要不要我停止修理你的生命呢？你要不要我把你放在一边呢？”她的心受了安慰，大声说道：“不！不！”——狄克生
And every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit (John 15:2).
A child of God was dazed by the variety of afflictions which seemed to make her their target. Walking past a vineyard in the rich autumnal glow she noticed the untrimmed appearance and the luxuriant wealth of leaves on the vines, that the ground was given over to a tangle of weeds and grass, and that the whole place looked utterly uncared for; and as she pondered, the Heavenly Gardener whispered so precious a message that she would fain pass it on:
"My dear child, are you wondering at the sequence of trials in your life? Behold that vineyard and learn of it. The gardener ceases to prune, to trim, to harrow, or to pluck the ripe fruit only when he expects nothing more from the vine during that season. It is left to itself, because the season of fruit is past and further effort for the present would yield no profit. Comparative uselessness is the condition of freedom from suffering. Do you then wish me to cease pruning your life? Shall I leave you alone?"
And the comforted heart cried, "No!"
--Homera Homer-Dixon
It is the branch that bears the fruit,
That feels the knife,
To prune it for a larger growth,
A fuller life.
Though every budding twig be lopped,
And every grace
Of swaying tendril, springing leaf,
Be lost a space.
O thou whose life of joy seems reft,
Of beauty shorn;
Whose aspirations lie in dust,
All bruised and torn,
Rejoice, tho' each desire, each dream,
Each hope of thine
Shall fall and fade; it is the hand
Of Love Divine
That holds the knife, that cuts and breaks
With tenderest touch,
That thou, whose life has borne some fruit
May'st now bear much.
--Annie Johnson Flint