The Grace of Transformation

Lent is a season of renewal, a time when we are invited to examine our hearts and open ourselves to God’s transforming grace. In Luke 13:6-9, Jesus tells the parable of a fig tree that had not borne fruit for three years. The owner of the vineyard wanted to cut it down, but the gardener intervened. “Give it one more year,” the gardener pleaded. “I’ll dig around it and add fertilizer. Let’s see if it bears fruit next season.”

This parable speaks to the heart of Lenten transformation. Like the fig tree, we all have seasons of barrenness; times when we feel stuck, unfruitful, or distant from God. It’s easy to assume that God will grow impatient with us, but the gardener’s response reveals God’s true nature: patient, merciful, and hopeful. God does not give up on us. Instead, God nurtures us, giving us the grace and space to grow.

Lent is a time for letting God tend to our souls. It’s a season for digging around the hardened soil of our hearts, making room for new growth. Transformation doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t always look the way we expect.

Jesus’ parable reminds us that God’s grace allows for second chances. We are invited not to fear our unfruitfulness but to trust that God is at work beneath the surface. Lent calls us to lean into that grace; to allow God to loosen the soil, feed our spirits, and help us grow in ways we cannot yet see.

This season, may we trust the gardener’s care and open ourselves to the quiet work of transformation.

Kevin+