“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
John 15:5-6
It is a beautiful morning. The air is crisp and cool...reminds of the waning days of summer....I almost expect leaves to be fluttering through the air to the ground. The thought to grab a sweatshirt has crossed my mind. Learning (no, not natural....and add a lot of struggling) to get away with God has been my greatest joy in this season of my life. Each morning God has been so faithful to bring beauty out of his Word to my heart. This morning is no different. I love the anticipation and then the surprise I feel. Sometimes I wonder why I am surprised at all. As I sit here this morning I'm really happy I don't quite understand it all. That the excitement of what God's going to show me will never be mundane...known...anticipated... it's new every morning! Praise God! I feel like a kid in a candy store...that 64 year old "kid" that, last week, visited Sugar Kingdom and filled her box to the brim with Salt Water Taffy!! 😳
Anyways 🙄
I love these passages in John. I find it hard not to post the entire passage. John 15:1-17 is packed with spectacular metaphors. So deep and rich in beauty. If you are someone who sometimes struggles to retain information (me), metaphorical writing or speaking provides a picture for learning and remembering.
When we become Christ followers we are grafted in. We become part of the vine.
Grafting - to attach a twig or bud from one plant to another plant so they are joined and grow together.
If you're curious here's a short video. ....there are many on YouTube.
https://youtube.com/shorts/39c2vN43vJM?feature=share
Romans 11:11-24 talks about being grafted in...I love these passages as well:
"If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you."
Romans 11:17-18
I think often about the three very large dead trees I have along my fence line. They are completely barren. There is no life in them. Then I look at the trees on either side of them that are flourishing, nourished, full of beautiful greenery. Those trees were and are me! Once I was dead...now I am alive. Once I was barren...now I am flourishing. Once I was ignorant...now I am without excuse. Once I was a branch tossed into the fire, useless...now I am part of the vine.
I don't believe I was saved until I was nearly 30. I did have an identifying moment when I knew I needed Jesus but not what some might call a spectacular, life defining moment. As I look back now it actually was....but I just didn't know it. I didn't start walking seriously with the Lord until I was 42.
"Do not consider yourself to be superior..."
I fall easily into the comparison trap. Especially in the company of who I would call "seasoned" Christians. They know more simply because they have walked longer. But, in God's eyes we are all equal at the foot of the cross. It's not about what I look like in the eyes of others...NO....it's about my personal relationship with Christ! Him and I, period!
HE is the gardener! HE is the Root! HE keeps the vine healthy! HE planted ME! HE sustains me! HE gives me life! And what is my responsibility? REMAIN IN HIM! And the result? I WILL BEAR MUCH FRUIT!
As I sit here this morning, alone, I wonder about my worth. What fruit am I bearing? Is it enough? I'm reminded of Brother Lawrence.....a monk...whose job in the monestary was dishwasher. His book, Practicing the Presence of God, shows how he did just that in the everyday mundane task of washing dishes. I watched a documentary on how a cruise ship runs it's day to day operations. One woman's job was to run the laundry department. To make sure that all sheets and towels were washed and ready..... thousands of towels and sheets to turn every Saturday. She said, "I do it for the glory of God."
So, as I sit here this morning, in God's presence, I am doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing:
"Glorify God and enjoy his presence forever."
No pressure to be seen. No pressure to perform. No pressure to prove myself worthy. No pressure to conquer the world. No pressure to collect accolades. Just me and my Savior enjoying time together.
Have a beautiful day!
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