The gardener in Jesus’ parable of the fig tree understands me: “Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it.” The gardener believes that if he moves the dirt around, enriches it with fertilizer, and pays more attention to it, then something might happen. In other words, let me keep trying. Not for the sake of my ego, but for the sake of life. Give it another chance. Because, yes, I know what it means when someone doesn’t give up on me, and when God doesn’t give up on me.