Life is a series of tests. Not the pop-quiz kind, but the soul-crushing, “How am I going to survive this?” kind. Maybe you’re drowning in medical bills. Maybe you’re fighting for justice in a system that’s rigged against you. Maybe you’re just so tired of being misunderstood.
Cue the fig tree.
In Luke 13:1-9, Jesus tells the parable of a tree that’s had three years to produce fruit… and still, nothing. The owner is ready to cut it down. But the gardener steps in:
“Give it another year. Let me dig around it, fertilize it, care for it. Let me fight for it.”
That gardener? That’s God. The one who intervenes on our behalf when we’re running out of time, running out of luck, and running out of fruit.
Reflection for the Week:
- Who’s been your advocate when you couldn’t speak for yourself?
- Where is God “digging around” your life right now, even if it feels disruptive?
I remember being a teenager and I was selected for a national program to represent the state of Virginia in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s Advocacy Days. I was able to go with my Mom on a trip to Washington D.C. to meet with other kids and teens who had diabetes just like me. We lobbied with congressional staffers and even sang a song about diabetes on the steps of the Capitol Building (and I also got to meet Larry King, Jonothan Lipnicki, and Mary Tyler Moore – all of which was cool in and of itself). But while we were there, we were advocates for tons of other children and people with diabetes who sometimes can’t get the care they need because of finances, or insurance, or lack of knowledgeable doctors. It was humbling to be the person who says, let me care for the others and present our case just like the gardener did to those in charge. We all need to have an advocate, but we all equally need to be an advocate too.
Try This:
Grab a packet of seeds—any kind. Plant one in dirt, another in a jar of water, a third in that random coffee mug you never use. Watch what happens. (Spoiler: Some thrive. Some don’t. But they all get a shot.) Advocacy’s like that. You show up. You try. You let the rest go.
A Prayer to Carry You:
God, you’re the ultimate second-chance giver. Thanks for digging through our mess. Help us fight for others like you fight for us. Even when it’s awkward. Especially then. Amen.
Bottom Line:
Advocacy isn’t about fixing. It’s about staying. Showing up when the fruit’s not there. When the tears won’t stop. When the system’s rigged. Jesus didn’t pitch the fig tree. He got blisters tending it.
So this week, channel your inner gardener. Text the friend who’s ghosting. Tip extra at the diner. Sit with the coworker everyone avoids. Small things? Maybe. But so’s a seed.
Copyright notice: Adapted from “All We Need: The Basics” © 2024 Barn Geese Worship. Used by permission. Adapted and edited by Travis Wilson.