Staying Connected!

John 15:5 ”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.”

I love to look at vineyards. I do not drink wine, but I do enjoy grapes, raisins, and grape juice. One of my only “chick flicks” that I enjoy, besides Braveheart (yes, Braveheart. It’s a love story you know) is”A Walk in the Clouds.” Not because of Keanu Reeves, or because it’s a Mexican family (I’m Puerto Rican, just saying). What attracts me to this movie is how the grandfather explains the relationship between the family and the vineyard. Their lives we surrounded by the life of the grape fields.

It is no different for you and I. We need to stay connected to God not just for grow but for life. Staying connected to the Word and prayer gives me life.  But I am learning that continued growth comes through the trails of training and pruning.  

Vines are trained to grow up and off the ground because if they droop over, it stunts growth.  So they are twisted and tied and learn to grow upward. Many times throughout the year they are adjusted. God allows twists and ties in our lives so that we will have the discipline to grow towards Him. As many times as it takes, He adjusts us.

I always thought that pruning was a little trim for growth. But it is far more than that. It is a cutting away of all by one or two small stubs of the branch. It brings you back to where you started from. God does not desire a onetime harvest. God desires people that will continue to produce more and more each year.

I can do nothing without God.  But with Him I can change the world for His glory. Staying connected!