Manure in Our Marriage!

My morning quiet time reminded me of the smell of manure.  I worked on a horse farm growing up in Ohio.  I cleaned out a lot of stalls and became very familiar with the deep ammonia smell of manure that can burn the hairs out of your nose.

Luke 13: 6 – 9 point out a valuable purpose of manure.

⁶ And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. ⁷ And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ ⁸ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure.9 Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”  Luke 13:6-9 (ESV)

Is the fruit in your life sweet or bitter?  Perhaps it is nonexistent.  Have your roots been disturbed for the placement of manure?  Consider how your hardships can cause a fertile soil for a season of fruit bearing.  Instead of grabbing the closest shovel to dispose of the manure, perhaps we should reflect on how our hardships are bringing about growth.

Some of the greatest fruit in my life today has developed after very difficult circumstances.  My husband and I are celebrating our 28^th wedding anniversary this week and the marriage we now experience comes from years of continued manure management.

Since I want the fruit in my life to grow sweeter over the years rather than bitter, I can count on more manure.

Maybe you need a little manure in your own life.  Perhaps, like me, you already have manure and welcome the reminder to renew your perspective to embrace the manure and prepare for the sweet enjoyment of fruit.  Fruit often comes with a cost which makes it all the sweeter!

Copyright©2016, Gloria Stucky

 “Manure” Image courtesy of xedos4 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net