Tag: connection

Connected to the Vine

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 “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. 6 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. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.

John 15:1-16 (NIV)

Learning how to care for the landscaping around our new home over the past year has been enjoyable. We have some trees, bushes, and plants which we never had in our home state. Even the grass is a different type in our adopted state. There are a few plants with which we are familiar with but the growing season and climate difference required us to learn how to care for them in different ways. Overall, we have been successful and truly have enjoyed the new beauty which surrounds us daily. The basics of caring for the landscape remains the same to ensure healthy plants. Everything needs good soil, sufficient watering, and pruning at times. All of the plants, trees, shrubs, and grass on our property are connected in some way. Daily to weekly care depending on the season is necessary.

Jesus uses the imagery of a vine and branches when talking to his disciples in today’s passage. He points out the importance of remaining connected in order to be fruitful. He also mentions the value of being pruned to remain healthy and even more productive. Then Jesus explains about the fruit which we are to produce. The fruit is love. Jesus describes this love which starts with the Father, flows through Jesus to us, and then we are to share the love with the world around us. The imagery of the vine and branches fits well with the view of flowing love.

This passage is familiar to many and is filled with important lessons. The first lesson is regarding the importance of always being connected to the Lord, our source of love and sustenance for our lives. The next lesson involves pruning and cutting away. God does some of this but we should do some of it as well. Removing the aspects in our lives which cause us to be unhealthy and unable to produce love is vital to our well-being overall. The third lesson here is the reminder that we are intended to share the love which we have received from the Lord. In nature, if a fruit tree’s fruit is not harvested, the fruit will either fall to the ground or remain on the tree and rot either way. If we do not share the love fruit which we have, it will be wasted as well.

Remain connected to the Lord and produce fruits of love which you share with the world.

Reaching

In our home we have a few houseplants. We are fortunate in this house to have windows to the south and windows to the east which provide excellent locations for some of our plants. Every few weeks, I have to turn the plants at least forty-five degrees. The reason for needing to turn the plants is that they tend to grow towards the window so by turning them I am able to keep them pretty evened out. Of course, the reason they grow toward the window is due to the fact that they are growing toward the source of the sunlight. If you remember from your basic biology class, plants need sunshine in order to trigger photosynthesis which allows the plant to grow.

You may be wondering why I have attempted to give a brief lesson regarding plants and photosynthesis. My reason is that while adjusting the plants the other day, I thought about how they reach for the sunlight. How they must have the sunlight for their survival. These thoughts caused me to ponder how I have a similar need. I am the type of person who does not do well on consecutive days of cloudy skies. After a few days, I notice shifts in my attitude and a reduction of my energy level. I am a person who needs regular days of sunlight.

I also began to consider how this applies to my faith. I have a need to feel a connection to God. When I sense this connection, my attitude is more of a positive attitude. Feeling surrounded by the Spirit of God, I experience a movement forward in my life. When going through a dark time in my life, my natural instinct is to reach out toward the Lord. Like the plant reaches toward the sunlight, I reach toward God so that I may receive what I need to survive and grow.

Between the impact of COVID-19 and the call for racial justice, there seems to me a greater need for us to reach out. A need for us to reach out to one another. A need for us to reach out to God. There we will find that life-giving source which will sustain us and help us to grow.