Lessons From The Vine: Experiments With Grapes

My son, like a lot of boys out there, loves to do "experiments". The most recent one was a request to mix up his lemon-lime gatorade with some milk and see what would happen. When I replied that we couldn't do that experiment because it would be wasting food, he looked at me and replied incredulously, "But MOMMMMM, it won't be wasted. I'm going to drink it."

Pretty sure I threw up a little in my mouth at just the thought.

Boys.

The "experiment" that he wanted to do just before that one was a little more tame. Almost a year ago, I wrote about our grapevines in this post, and well, they have been blossoming the past couple of weeks. It is so exciting to all of us! The blossoming represents SPRING! which represents WARM weather! (well... eventually) which represents playing in WATER! which, to my boys, represents hours of endless FUN! and, to me, represents hours of my boys being easily OCCUPIED by something other. than. me.

Can I get an Amen?

When my experimenting son, Pasco, asked me to explain how a grape turns into a raisin, I put on my Mommy-Knows-All hat and explained away. So intrigued he was by the explanation that he requested that we get two grapes and leave them out to dry in the sun. Hmmmmm. Two grapes. Yes, we could spare two grapes in the name of science.

So, we placed the two grapes on a Lighting McQueen plate and left them in the 80 degree sun.

After I put the boys in their rooms for naps/room-time, I went back outside to have some sanity-time... oh, I mean... alone time in the backyard. I sat there looking at those grapes and then looking at the vine. at the grapes. then at the vine.

And it sorta struck me. In a month or so, grapes would be hanging from that vine under a hot, Texas sun. Luscious. Juicy. Full of Life.

But.

If you separate those exact same grapes from that vine and put them out under that same hot, Texas sun. They will be Shriveled. Dry. Dead.

Boy howdy.

Aren't we just like that???

Connected to The Vine, we are vibrant and joyful. We are bursting with praise and worship and kindness and goodness. We are full of His Life!

Separated from The Vine, we can become depressed, cynical, or embittered. We sometimes draw inward, saving each ounce of happiness just for ourselves. We tend to lose all hope and future.

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... When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. John 15:4-5,8

Now, please don't allow this to make you think "You need to do better. You need to read the Bible more. You need to go to church more often. You need to pray more. You need to... You need to... You need to..."

That's not at all what I'm trying to convey.

And remember, Jesus (who said all that stuff in those verses up there) also said, "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." Matthew 11:28-30

Yes. Reading the bible is going to keep you connected to Him. Yes. Going to church is going to keep you connected to Him. Yes. Praying is going to keep you connected to Him.

But think about those grapes that will hang from that vine. They don't "do" anything! They just... remain. They stay attached. That's all. GOD is the one that fills them with nutrients. with water. with flavor. So, if I'm encouraging you (and oh, believe me, I'm speaking to myself here as well) to "do" anything, it's to stay attached to Him. to remain in Him. to cling to Him.

And He'll be making big, ol, juicy grapes before you know it.

 

"I want her"

I recently returned from a mission trip to Cochabamba, Bolivia where I got to serve with an orphanage called Casa de Amor. Before going, I would laugh at my friends and other women in my life who would joke that I should bring them back a baby. How silly, I thought. Well, I didn't bring back a baby. I DID, however, let a precious little 10 month old girl wrap me around her sweet, dimpled, baby fingers while I was there--it was an accident...I was certain that I had prepared myself to NOT get attached.

I spent a whole day and a half with her and just laughed with her and at her and held her and rocked her and played with her and fed her and sung to her and watched her sleep. During those moments I KNEW it was temporary and that she was just a sweet baby that I got to spend time with. But for some reason, when I started preparing for heading home a few days later, I couldn't get her off my mind. I kept kidding with my teammates and with the orphanage director that I just wished I could take her home. [I was at least half-serious] In just a day and a half, I had grown to care SO MUCH about this little girl.

I sat down one afternoon a couple of days after I had last seen her and started journaling and talking with God. I knew in my heart that she wasn't going home with me. I asked God why on earth he would let me feel love for a little girl I was going to have to leave. I didn't understand...so I began to pray for her and for who she might go home with ONE day. I prayed that God would please bring her parents who would just flood her with love....and then I was overwhelmed by a thought that God had given me back at Easter...only this time it seemed more personal. The greatest thing we can do for our children is tell them about Jesus. THAT is the greatest show of love we can ever, ever offer. I began praying that she would have parents who would tell her about Jesus. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, Lord...give her parents who love YOU and love her so much to tell her how much YOU love her. I started praying for every child in that orphanage...God, please just let them learn about your Son! Give them homes, give them families that LOVE YOU.

God used this little girl to remind me that the greatest thing we can do for our children is tell them about Jesus. If you don't know me, you may not know that have zero kids. But I know that I am surrounded by people who were not told about Jesus when they were children. Like you, I have family...I have teens in my youth ministry...I have neighbors and acquaintances at places I visit frequently, and I have opportunities to go on mission trips and talk to complete strangers...all of which may NEVER have heard or realized that Christ loves them. We are all surrounded by "kids" that we encounter on a regular basis and the GREATEST thing we can ever talk to them about is JESUS and his love for them. In the same way I wanted this little girl to be part of my family, God wants EVERY person, every child, to part of HIS family.

Thank you, God, for using a precious baby girl to remind me of the opportunity that is all around me, all of the time.

PS-I still want her. :)