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Stepping Out on a Limb
The Withering Vine
The valley of Uz sat between two mountains called Stoney Point located near the plains of Omar. The embedded valley lay toward the north between two mountains and the plains of Omar laid to the south. Uz was enriched with a flowing river that fed the valley from the winter snow that melted off the mountains. The spring, summer and fall rains also filtered off the slopes of the mountains and brought water to the valley. The plains of Omar were a little different. The dry grassland saw little to no rain throughout the year. The wind blew constantly across the plains; it dried the earth into a dust. There was a small community in the valley named Flat Rock. It was no more than a spot in the road. It was hidden and secluded in the midst of Uz. The meadow was adorned and enriched with beautiful flowers, trees, birds and many other things. The small spot of land was as a bouquet dressed in lacy flowering trees and shrubs. The river flowed smoothly and quietly about it until it pooled up here and there creating swirling waters.
In the meadow of Uz lived a young man named Aaron. He lived in a small farmhouse on Fieldstone Road just a mile or two from Lost Valley. Aaron was a tiller of the ground. He was a humble man, yet young in the Lord. Year after year, his crops produced an abundance of fruit, berries and grains. He sold his record setting crops to the market to make a living for himself. But, he also shared his blessings with others. The Lord had blessed him and the valley; he prayed daily. The valley was overwhelmed with the richness and blessings from the Lord.
“It is good,” the young man said. “Let it be known that it is good.”
As the Lord watched over his land and vineyard, all was well in Uz for a long time. As the seasons passed, Aaron became needy. Out of the south, from the plains of Omar, a storm robbed and stole the blessings, crippling the land. The storm left the valley of Uz naked and barren, a wasteland. The bitter winds of the plains drove the fruit, berries and grains to ruin. The vines in the vineyard were raped of their life. They were left bruised, torn, beaten and withered. The angry stir of the winds cheated the river; it became nothing but a dry bed. The tall dark shadows of the mountains darkened the valley of Uz.
“Why, Lord, tell my why this tragedy has befallen on me?” the young man cried out unto the Lord.
The Lord did not reply. Day after day, he searched and searched his heart for an answer. But, there was no answer. As he looked out across the valley at the naked land, his tears fell upon dust. With the scorching hot sun bearing down onto the ground, the tears quickly dried up and disappeared. The valley lay in ruins at his feet. The dry hot breeze from the plains blew the dust from the breast of the valley. Aaron prayed daily but there was no answer. Slowly, he became bitter and his heart became like stone. Daily, he looked up toward Heaven with a hopeful heart. Unfortunately, his heart became harder and he eventually looked up no more.
The vineyard was diseased and infested. The worms found pleasure in the dead vines. The fruits, berries and grains were no more than wilted hulls bleached from the day’s sun. Aaron set out from the meadow to find anyone in Uz. After searching, he found no one but himself.
“Lord, I don’t understand why this has befallen me. Tell me, Lord, what have I done?”
But, there was no reply. There was only the howling of the wind from the plains of Omar. Quickly, he raised his fist toward the sky.
“I hate you, God,” he cried out.
As the hot wind and dust began to stir, it blew hard against him and across the barren valley of Uz. The wind ceased and a dead silence fell across the valley. Aaron lowered his fist, turned and walked away. Out of nowhere, a man with a crooked leg appeared. He asked Aaron for a drop of water. Aaron checked his water supply and he only had two drops left. Aaron gave the man a drop and he took the last drop. Quickly, the man turned to him.
“My son, my son,” the man said, “maybe you are looking too hard and it’s causing you to fail to see.”
Before Aaron could turn to answer him, the man was gone. He was nowhere in sight; he had disappeared as quickly as he came. I wonder who that was, thought Aaron as he looked around everywhere for him.
As time went on, Aaron looked no more toward Heaven. He tried to put the pieces of his shattered life back together. The more he tried, the messier it became. The valley became drier. The land turned to dust and traveled away in the wind. Aaron had given up all hope, cast away all his dreams and lost all sight of his vision. For years, he struggled to regain it all. He worked from dawn to dusk, day after day, planting, replanting, sowing and plowing. But, there was little use for the land.
Years passed; the young man was now old. He was able to survive throughout the years because the land had brought forth just enough to see him through. There wasn’t a day that passed that he didn’t think about how the valley used to be. He longed to see the woven green grass of the fields bend over a slight from the gentle winds and the abundance of fruit, berries and grains laying in the fields, ripe and ready for the harvest. The crisp brisk breeze from the mountains enhanced the flower buds. Memories were all that he had and they were fading with age. He treated himself from time to time as he reminisced about the still moments of years gone by. Throughout the years, his heart became bitter and hardened. However, deep down, there was still a drop of good in it.
There came a time that Aaron stood in the field under the open sky. He looked up once again unto Heaven into the face of God. The Lord saw his face and also the good in his heart.
“It is good,” the Lord said.
“Lord, forgive me,” he cried, “for my ways and the things that have brought this upon me. I pray that you will forgive me because I am blind and cannot see. Have mercy, oh, Lord, I pray that I may live again and know you once again like I did before.”
Slowly, he dropped his head. As he looked down, he watched the sun scorch the vine at his feet. Then he watched as a worm cut off the vine from the root and caused it to wither. From the fruit of the withered vine, he took two seeds into his hand. Then with a still voice, the Lord spoke to his heart.
“Aaron, my precious child, the world is cruel and it holds tragedy for all. It is unfair and unjust. You have to be strong and endure. Plant the seeds so they may grow and bring forth their fruit from the land and your heart will be pure as gold.”
Aaron stood upon a giant rock that had been hollowed out by the south winds. He looked south toward the plains of Omar and saw that it was a barren wasteland, a dust bowl of emptiness. The south wind had been wicked. It had blistered and destroyed everything around it. To the north of the two mountains of Stoney Point, he saw hopes, dreams and answered prayers. In the valley of Uz that lay between the two mountains, he saw a naked and starved land hungry for life. In his hands were the two rough seeds. As his hands trembled, he gently squeezed them.
“Yes, yes, yes, I say it is good,” he said as he clinched the seeds in his fist.
Aaron took the seeds and did as the Lord had commanded. The seeds from the withered vine, in its season, brought a bountiful crop. Once again, it was time to harvest the rich and fertile land that had brought forth fruit, berries and grains to the greatest potential.
As the valley grew in richness and blessings, Aaron’s heart, too, began to change. The bitterness in his heart was slowly dying just like when the bitterness of the worm took the life out of the vine and its fruit. The love, patience and long-suffering began to fill his heart. Aaron carefully looked around the valley and it was home like he once knew. His heart became pure as gold.
He lifted his eyes up toward Heaven and looked upon the Lord and said, “Lord, it is good again.”