Vines and Branches

Vines and Branches

“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.”
John 15:5

WELCOME!

 

 

 

“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.”
John 15:5
    
WELCOME!

Looks like two random pictures of vines, correct? Actually, you have to look close to see that they are even TWO pictures, right?


The picture on the left shows some dead vines, after I began to trim them back out of the pig’s paddock. It is one more task needing to be done around the barn, and it is laborious. I must confess I am not always in the place of enjoying what I am doing in the moment with this kind of task. Why is that? Because it is  H-A-R-D.
Hard because the sturdy green vines are so intertwined. Not just with themselves, but with the wire that supports them. As the vines continuously grow and emerge toward the light, they wrap themselves so tightly around the wire, (support) that you cannot tell which is wire and which is invasive vine! I have to meticulously pull away the vine from the wire, being careful to cut the vine and not snip the wire. Tedious, indeed!
Knowing that experiences during my days may be a lens into a deeper way of viewing life, I began to mull over the vine metaphor as I carefully snipped away. Easy to make the connection to the well known Bible verse, about vines and branches. So, I began to consider that, as I snipped, snipped, snipped away.
The vines seemed to be clear about their task. They moved towards the support. AND, they moved towards the light. Always. They did not have to try to reach for the light, they just used their support, and headed one way. UP. In that process, they eventually became indistinguishable from the wire support that held them. They became one with the wire, so so speak.
HMM.
My thoughts about my task underwent a rather hasty shift. Two points became clear to me. I make choices to move towards the Light in my life. I choose to call that God. Whatever is loving, kind, generous, compassionate…the list could go on and on. I move towards those traits. BUT, it does not stop there. I MUST have support, and lean on it. Many of the aforementioned traits can also be forms of support. In moving towards them, one becomes indistinguishable from them. That does not make me God. It does, however and hopefully, woo me towards those traits becoming exhibited in increasing measure.
We become what we focus on. We become what we adore. Years ago, I recall in Grad school, one of the early church fathers, or mothers said it well:
“I desire
to be desired
by the One I desire.” 

That mutuality, where one becomes the other, so intertwined and sustained and alike, is a superb image. And, I have quite a visual of that, as I continue to snip, snip, snip. But now, with a renewed sense of purpose and vision.
What do you like? What are you clinging to? What needs to be snipped, so you can become more and more what you love? We want to know!!
AND, as always, we have ways of YOU moving deeper into YOUR excellence!  With the beautiful horses, we have an exciting fall workshop coming up, on November 11th. Gratitude and Grace: How To Get it, And How To Keep It! Attendance is limited, so sign up today!!
And, our ever popular Resonant Horse In the Round Circles are happening OFTEN!! Here are the fall dates:
Saturday, Nov. 4th, 3:00-4:30
Sunday, Nov. 19th, 3:00-4:30
Sunday, Nov. 26th, 3:00-4:30
Saturday, Dec. 16th, 3:00-4:30

Till next time…

 

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