Tethered or Withered?

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 NLT


If you have been around me for any length of time, or have had occasion to read any of my previous posts, you may have noticed that God speaks to me in metaphors. It’s not an audible voice that I hear, rather a thought that comes that I cannot claim as my own.

Recently, I have traveled and experienced God in ways I am not sure I can adequately convey. Between the crisp mountain air and natural formations of Colorado Springs and the beauty of a state park in Indiana, God has spoken through the voice of the very natural wonders He created. Even so, the most recent metaphoric revelation occurred in my own back yard.

Sometime early in the summer, my sweet daughter took the seeds of a butternut squash and tossed them across the fence dividing the land behind us and our backyard. She had hoped it would produce fruit in the same manner we harvested a beautiful little pumpkin the previous year. At the beginning of September as hints of autumn began to appear, we discovered the seeds had taken root and a vine began to grow along the barbed wire fence.

Upon inspection of the vine, one could see the strong, but tiny tendrils that gave the vine stability and the thick stalk that curled around the fence. The beautiful yellow flowers began to peak from underneath the covering of the thick, large leaves and occasionally, we’d see the flowers fall off and give way to the swell of fruit underneath. 

Not all the flowers produced fruit and some of the fruit that did grow only lasted a few days. Then, much to our surprise, a squash began to grow. 

As I watched the surviving fruit transform, I observed that very few of the other flowers produced such a fruit. And soon, we had another.

My sweet daughter caught an amazing picture of the new growth. I was in awe of the beauty it possessed. So much can be said about the process of seed becoming fruit. Yet, it wasn’t until I got home from one of my trips that I really saw the lesson that the Lord was trying to teach me.

You see, when I had returned, our tiny little fruit didn’t look the same as when I had last seen it.

No longer was the vine strong and resilient. Now, it was twisted and limp. The fruit was no longer growing, but had actually seemed to have shrunk in size. Upon further inspection, I observed the true source of the problem – this length of the vine was no longer connected to the main vine – its source of life.

Curiosity drove me to inspect the vine further and to look at the larger fruit that still appeared to be attached. It was attached, but not in the way I expected. The stalk was attached, but it was barely hanging on. Most of the connection had been severed, but the fruit could still receive sustenance from the vine. Oh, how the lesson came alive!

Jesus told us in John 15 that He is the source of life. As with many verses of Scripture, we often recite just one portion of a passage, but when we evaluate the entire context of a concept, we can receive deeper revelation:

“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. (John 15:1-8, NLT, emphasis mine)

Echoes of that passage have rung in my mind and heart as I have traversed the last few weeks. Our small group is working through a Bible study on spiritual stamina.  Its purpose is to  encourage the very  disciplines that keep us connected to God.  The timing of this post s not coincidental as many of my recent conversations with God have been on this very topic. 

Jesus told the disciples that there is only one vine – Him. Apart from Him, we cannot grow. Apart from Him, we cannot produce fruit. Just as the farmer sowed seeds into the soil that is hard, rocky, or full of thorns, no good harvest will come forth. We oftentimes begin with high hopes and good intentions, but if we fail to stay connected to the source of our nourishment and strength, our fruit will wither and the branch will eventually be cut away.

Connectedness to God comes in many forms. It is not just reading His Word in your prayer closet or singing worship songs in the shower or car. It’s not only showing up for service on the weekends. All those things are extremely important, but what I believe the Lord was trying to teach us was that we must engage Him in conversation, invest in the life of our church and bond with other believers.

We, the vine branches, grow as we are connected to the One True Vine. The tendrils of our faith begin to grow as we allow ourselves to be immersed in God’s love and grace as well as draw from the truth of His Word. The fragrant flowers of our lives bloom and produce fruit as long as we stay engaged with His people and His church.

Granted, the trials we face cause us to want to withdraw. However, those are the times we must be tethered to the Vine, fiercely clinging to the source of all hope and strength that is only found in Jesus. We experience that strength and life when draw upon those with whom God has surrounded us. When we allow ourselves to become disconnected, our branch becomes weak and withered, and our will to reconnect fades with it.

Looking back at the pictures of the vine in my backyard, I’m drawn back to the fruit that held on with a broken stalk. The connection still existed, but at some point, the stalk broke and the fruit fell. What is left of the vine is slowly dying and soon, those bright flowers will no longer be a part of the scene as I look out my window.

Unlike the fruit, you and I can repair our connection to Christ. We can make the decision to reach up and out and find healing for our souls. We can choose to spend more time reading and praying.  We can decide to reconnect with those who are tethered to Him and draw strength and encouragement from them. We do not have to allow ourselves to be cut off and starved.

Deep within us exists the desire to remain in Him. We crave connectedness, not just to others but even more so to our Creator. He has built that into our DNA and it is not without reward. John 15:7 reminds us of the promise fulfilled for being tethered to Jesus: “But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!” The joy we have in staying connected to Jesus results in fruit for others and ourselves through answered prayer. The closer we get to Him, the more our prayers align with His Word and His will and the more fruitful our lives will become.

What do you need to do to reconnect to the Vine? Reach for Jesus and you will encounter a peace that passes all understanding and the strength to endure all seasons.

One Tear At A Time

Some days are harder than others.  Some are even harder still.  Lately, there are more of the latter.  Putting it all into words is difficult.  All I know is that these days are full of tears.  

There was a time when I couldn’t cry.  The pain in my heart was so deep, it practically surpassed the place where my tears lived.  I wanted to cry, but I think I felt numb.  Sometimes, I wish I was numb once again. Crying takes a lot of energy (and makes my eyes puff up!)

I know I’m not the only one to bring my tears before God.  I can’t imagine the ocean of tears that is brought before Him on a daily basis.  But, as I write, I am reminded that how we bring our tears before God can determine how we move through the pain that causes them.

In Luke, Chapter 7, verses 36 through 50, we read about the woman who came and washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and wiped them away with her hair.  She then anointed him with the precious perfume of her alabaster jar.  The Pharisees were appalled, as they knew her only to be a sinful woman.  But, Jesus looked at her tearful offering to be one of pure love and adoration.  And, he said to her, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”(v. 50, NLT)

There is so much to unpack in the entire passage.  However, I’m feeling led to concentrate on the last verse.  I will reiterate it to help us really grasp a hold of its truth: “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

First, let’s look at the woman’s offering.  She offered him not only her most prized, worldly possession, the perfume in the alabaster jar, but she offered him something even more precious – her tears.

The world often looks at weeping as a sign of weakness.  Even in our closest relationships, tears come when we are hurt, whether by word or deed.  Our tears come forth in times of physical pain, emotional trauma and even burn hot when we are angry.  Tears of joy seem to be rarer still, but if we consider this woman’s offering, we can see that her tears flowed from an incredible place deep within her soul.

Tears for the pain from the work that never seemed to end.  Tears for the wounded emotions resulting from her own choices and at the cruel words others had hurled at her.  Tears for the anger that raged within her as she listened to the world trying to define her.  Tears for the joy at meeting her Savior, and tears for the gratitude at hearing Him say, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

You and I shed tears for many of the same reasons.  Sometimes, we choose to let them fall, and at other times, we wish we could keep them hidden.  We must remember, however, that our tears are never hidden from God.  He actually values them!  

Psalm 56:8 says, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle.  You have recorded each one in your book.” 

It’s an incredible thought, isn’t it?  Each tear we cry is precious to our Heavenly Father; so precious, in fact, that He collects and records every one.  

And, what does He do with them? He counts them as our faith offering and extends to us His peace in exchange.  

As hard as it is to fathom, when we cry out to God and we offer Him the substance of our tears, He shows us that we can come to Him with our burdens and exchange them for His peace.  Does He not tell us, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30, NLT)

Our tears represent our burdens, the things that weigh us down and keep us from moving forward.  Instead of offering my tears to Jesus, I have held on to them too tightly, bottling them up by the gallon.  It seems as if the more I cry, the more I hold on to the things my tears represent.  

But, that is not what I’m supposed to do with my tears. No matter what caused them to form, I am to run to the feet of Jesus and pour them out as an offering, exchanging the pain for the  peace and love of my Savior.  

I’m not saying this process is going be easy.  It takes faith to lay down your pain.  It takes faith to trust God for the exchange.  Even so, if I can give Him one tear at a time, that, my friend, will still be progress, for my sorrow will eventually become joy. 

“Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.”(Psalm 126:5-6, NLT)