Savage2Saint Sobriety March 10, 2026

⁸ “The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. ⁹ If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.’” - Luke 13:8-9 (NLT).

It's not that I wanted to die, I just couldn't stand the idea of living that way anymore. I had finally given up on myself and decided that I was never going to change. I was out of excuses, and I was out of ideas on how to fix myself. Everything I tried failed. Any success I had ever experienced had always been short-lived. 'If only I had that job, I wouldn't have been where I was.' or 'If I didn't live here, I wouldn't have to see the old friends.' or 'If it wasn't for this person or that person, I wouldn't have gotten caught.' I no longer had anyone or anything else I could blame for the problems in my life. I had always believed that I was the smartest person I knew, but by the Spring of 2022, I no longer believed I knew anything at all. I was tired. My loved ones were tired. So, I tried to end my life.

In Luke 13, Jesus tells a parable about a vineyard owner who was ready to give up on a tree that wasn't producing fruit. The owner gave the instructions to cut the tree down. The gardener in charge of maintaining the vineyard asked that the tree be given another chance. He said he would give the tree 'special attention' and see if the tree would produce fruit the following year. We never hear the conclusion of the tree. We don't get to hear whether the tree ever produced fruit or met the business end of an axe. For me, personally, I can empathize with the tree. For the first 44 years of my life, I was just taking up space. I didn't live up to my potential, and it seemed that I was destined to live a life of what could have been. Then Jesus gave me one last chance.

I thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for not giving up on me. For spending a "special attention" kind of love on me when I couldn't love myself. When the whole world, including me, had decided I was a lost cause, Jesus said, "Give him one more chance." I didn't deserve that kind of treatment, but I guess that's why mercy and grace mean so much to the bound, bruised, and broken of the world. We've been given another chance to live free with the kind of freedom only Jesus can give. If you're ready to give up and quit, I know a Savior who wants you to have one more chance, but you have to let Him till up the dirty parts of your life. It's not always going to be easy, but the difficult days and the hard times prepare you for a future you can't see, yet. Jesus will take a past you can't outrun and turn it into a picture-perfect example of restoration. God Bless!