To Abide

Written by Melissa Sharpe

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 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. You are already clean because of the...”

“MOM!”
“Yes?” *crickets*
“MOOOOMMM!”

Where was I? Oh, right,
“…word I have spoken to you. 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."John 15:1-5

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain...

The lawn needs to be mowed. It's looking bad out there. Maybe tomorrow? Tomorrow! That form needs to be signed. If I don't remind her, she will completely forget to hand it in. Um, Where did I put that form? I'm so tired. The internet says I need more protein. We had chicken for dinner last night. How long can leftovers last in the fridge? The dog will eat it. Shoot, the dog still needs a walk. Why am I the only one who remembers the dog needs to be walked? Why am I always the one walking the dog?

*Shakes head* Don't feel resentful. Don't feel resentful. Don't feel resent.. where was I? in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; We're out of apples. The girls love apples. I can't believe the blueberries have mold in them. I just bought those blueberries. ...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. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

God? I wish you would remind the girls to walk the dog.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. How does one remain in love? Like, sit in love? Like a squatter? Like, squat in love? I can't believe the rights of squatters in California property law. You can just overstay your welcome in someone’s home, and you now have rights to be there?!

*Googles Squatters Rights in State of California*

Sorry. Sorry, Jesus. Where was I? 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...

To abide. To remain. To be still in the presence of the Creator and remain in Him. But sometimes, too many times, the spiritual discipline of abiding is a greater challenge than we perceive it to be because the pressures and tolls of daily life in a noisy world compete for our attention.

We struggle to fulfill what is encouraged and commanded of us because we simply struggle to tune out in order to tune in. And abiding is more than reading our daily devotional or slipping a few scriptures into our routines. It is a process of being rooted in the One who ordains our days and sees our pain. It is acknowledging the One who acknowledges us and our efforts to walk the dog, cook the meal, and sign the forms. It is remaining in the One who remains sovereign over the apples and all.