The following piece is the first reflection for our September focus on the spiritual practice of CELEBRATION. Read more here about our exploration of the spiritual disciplines in 2025 through creative and reflective writing.
I sent a text to my sister, who is the “plant lady” of the family, with photos of a plant in my living room. “What does it need? Should I re-pot it?” I sighed relieved when her response was,“It can stay in that pot. It looks happy to me.”
While I’ve spent my life helping people, I am generally lost when it comes to plants.
However, ten years ago, a friend gifted me a small grape vine. So, I attempted to plant a fruit and vegetable garden. The garden didn’t even last the season, but the vine is still flourishing. Over the years, the plant has taken over the side of my house with its strong, robust vine and array of branches.
I’ve written and spoken about the vine’s need for rocky soil and pruning, about its fruitfulness, and what it looks like to wait for the fruit.
Still, the lessons from my grapevine continue to come.
This season, I missed the window for pruning. The branches grew out of control, spilling over our fence into the neighbor’s yard. The plentiful vines were also making it difficult to access the side of the house and, if left to their own devices, would make it nearly impossible to pick the long-awaited fruit once it was ready.
While the pruning was necessary, I worried that it would harm the plant. I peered out my bedroom window daily, proud of the work I’d accomplished. But I was also seeking proof that the plant was continuing to thrive and the bunches of fruit were continuing to mature.
My concern grew as the tiny grapes, while changing from green to purple as they were supposed to, remained pea-sized. One morning, I noticed that instead of their beautiful purple color, the grapes had turned brown. They looked burnt.
Do grapes need the shade of the vine’s branches to flourish?
It was a question I had never considered the answer to until I saw what the sun had done to the fruit before it was ready for harvest. The grapes had been exposed to the elements without protection. I could relate to that. For months, I had been living connected to the true vine, yet attempting to survive without the shelter of God’s shadow and the blessings of His steadfast love and never-ending faithfulness. As a result, I found myself frustrated by the lack of fruit. Was it because I had moved outside of the shelter of the Most High?
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.” Psalm 91:1-2
In her book, Roots and Sky, author Christie Purifoy said this about loss, “God does not erase our losses, those empty places in our lives, but He does something almost more miraculous. He fills the loss with the sign of His presence.”
I had no viable fruit. Yet, God had not left me. If, as the psalmist says, “His presence is my good” (Ps 73:28), certainly, that was something to celebrate.
Sometimes, the way forward after unexpected loss includes both grief and celebration. Grief over the loss of fruit for this season, and celebration of an opportunity to move toward the next season with more clarity. With a greater understanding of the need for shade—for shelter and protection—from things that can both help and harm.
For the grapes, it is the “extra” branches that would’ve provided their protection. For us, it is not only the One in whose shadow we can rest and in whose presence we can be still, but also the community of believers, those who are also connected to the vine, who aid in our ability to give up the fight for survival and help lead us toward flourishing.
Sybil Kolbert has a passion for living out God’s heart for the vulnerable and oppressed. She desires to be an agent of change in the lives of individuals, groups, churches, and communities. Sybil is a coach, speaker, author, and curriculum creator, and is currently a student at Pillar Seminary. You can connect with her on Substack, on Instagram, and find out more about her coaching, speaking, and workshops on her website sylbilkolbert.com.
DON’T MISS NEXT WEEK’S WEBINAR:
Finding Balance In the Writing Life with Catherine McNiel, Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young, Nicole Doyley, and Sarah Driver
Wednesday, September 10 10:30am-11:30am PT / 1:30pm-2:30pm ET
Gain practical tools and tips for how to balance your writing life and all the other parts of your life
About this event:
In spite of our idyllic visions of a quiet cabin in the woods, few (if any) of us "just" write. We juggle jobs, schooling, family life, and health needs while finding spaces and places to work out our words. In this webinar, you will be equipped and encouraged by a panel of writers who have wrestled with this balancing act personally. You will leave with practical tools and tips for how to find balance between your writing life and all the other parts of your life.
This webinar is free for Redbud Writers Guild members (no need to register), $15 for non-members. All proceeds go to support our Women of Color Mentoring Program.
Recordings will be sent to everyone who is registered.
About our panel:
Catherine McNiel is a chaplain, author, editor, and speaker searching for the creative, redemptive work of God in our ordinary lives. She lives in the Chicagoland area with her husband, three children, and an enormous garden. Catherine holds an MA in human service counseling and is finishing a Master of Divinity at North Park Theological Seminary. Her book Mid-Faith Crisis: Finding a Path through Doubt, Disillusionment, and Dead Ends released June 2025 and she was the project editor for The Message Women's Devotional Bible which released August 2025. Her previous books include Fearing Bravely, All Shall Be Well, and Long Days of Small Things, which was an ECPA finalist for New Author. She's on the lookout for beauty, wisdom, and iced coffee.
Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young is a sought-after speaker, podcaster, former newspaper reporter, and the award-winning author of numerous books, including Chasing God’s Glory (Waterbrok Multnomah/PRH), Create in Me a Heart of Mercy (Revell), and Breathing Through Grief (Ink & Willow/Penguin Random House). Dorina leads as the president of the Redbud Writers Guild and the visionary director for Lead Loved, equipping Christian women leaders. She writes for (in)courage by Dayspring and Proverbs 31 Ministries. Dorina is a remarried widow. She and her husband, Shawn, are raising three daughters to be leaders in Central California.
Nicole Doyley is a podcast host, author, and speaker. She is a safe person to all kinds of people, which allows her to approach complex issues with honesty and grace. Her latest book, What About the Children: 5 Values for Multiracial Families, released in February 2025 (Westminster John Knox). Find her at nicoledoyley.com.
Sarah Driver writes to equip people for the work of justice. She has worked for 25 years at local, state, and international levels on a range of justice issues from education reform and gender equality to human rights and spiritual abuse. Sarah has lived and worked on four continents and holds a master’s degree in social policy and development from the London School of Economics. She loves meeting new people, hiking, scuba diving, and deep conversations. You can find her at www.justicedriver.com, on Substack (
), and on Instagram @justicedriver.P.S. Know someone who would be encouraged by this post or benefit from this upcoming webinar? Forward this to them today!
Don’t forget to visit our guild website here for a full list of our members and their written work, and connect with us on Facebook and Instagram so you never miss an update on what our guild and our members are doing.
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I find it so interesting that the fruit needed the shade. What a cool metaphor you pulled out, here.
This is such a beautiful reflection!