Remain in me, as I also remain in you.
No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine…
John 15:4 NIV
That ping.
Sometimes I wait… as if a few seconds will assert my independence from the chime of my notifications. If I were a cat, I would have died 9 million lives ago. Curiosity wins, and I read the text from my friend:
“It’s been 660 days since you’ve written anything.”
Me:
“I hate you.” (italics = penned by brain not fingertips)
Fact: I had a BABY. He spit up roughly 753,000 times. Now he runs and falls, runs and falls, runs and falls. I renovated a kitchen, prematurely aging me, as all kitchen renovations vindictively will do. My oldest kiddo has had more school projects in 3rd grade than a Masters degree program requires. My 7-year old’s flare for emotion is a worthy case study in hormones. My husband has spent more than half of those nights on the road, just trying to do things like cure cancer, while I do things like lay 52 bags of mulch. For a season, I ran a church campus. I led 3 Bible Studies. I mentor a small village of women. And I watch The Greatest Showman 3 times a day.
There. Are. THINGS.
It would be natural to blame the complicators of life on why I’ve taken so long to dust off these keyboard cobwebs. But it’s not for a lack of hours.
I have laryngitis of the soul. Like so many of you, amid the shouting in our highly socialized world, I’m raspy, at best. Disillusioned by staged pictures of open journals beside coffee art and spiritual inspiration relegated to hashtags, we don’t need to talk anymore, everything you need to know is probably written on my t-shirt. Transparency is no longer a hurdle to overcome because authenticity is redefined through the play by play of my instagram stories, now with the added impact of GIFs. The magnitude of voices shouting at us has taken the cream from the crop.
What could there possibly be left to say? What is new enough to spark fresh motivation, yet sacred enough to withstand the test of our Father’s time? And why should I assume my platform deserves a visit from you?
And then Stella called with a groove to give back, because enough is truly enough. We’ve got to help each other remember. This war is intended to be fought together. It’s a shared responsibility, and your voice, my voice, are required for this great commission.
The question is, where do we remain?
John 15:4 (NIV) – “Remain [synonyms: continues to exist, endure, last, abide, carry on, persist, stay, prevail, survive, live on] in me, as I also remain [continues to exist, endure, last, abide, carry on, persist, stay, prevail, survive, live on] in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine…” .
Today, where we “remain” paradoxically shifts with whatever is shiny enough to pull at our attention above the heap of noise already besieging us. This fast lane of instant gratification is our empty calorie diet, leaving us to crave the fruit. I’m talking the good stuff – organic, pesticide- and hormone-free, and devoid of whatever other bad things make tomatoes grow in December. Where, now, is the authentic Fruit — Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Gentleness, Goodness and Self-Control? Have you seen the lasting effect of these things in your life recently? There are fleeting moments that make the Father proud, to be sure. But it’s in the distractions — the dings, the highs, the lows, the comparison, the exhaustion — where we cultivate ground with most diligence. And that fruit leaves us indistinguishable from the world around us. All the while, we “remain” unsatisfied.
A permanent shift is most, unequivocally, required.
It takes some habit breaking and retraining, but sweet rushing waters are closer than we know. Take that deep breath. It’s time to once again:
Worship.
Worship when not a single soul is looking. Dance it out, lay on your face, whisper or yell, but do it for the Father, not the people in the pew behind you.
Read.
Read Proverbs and get lost in its simple prose. Read James and remember that faith goes hand in hand with action. Read Luke and fall in love with Jesus all over again.
Listen.
Listen to the Holy Spirit. Take time. Be quiet. Seek those nudges. Expect them. Trust them. Maneuver through this season by chasing down the adventure of your, most personal, calling.
Allow your soul to produce good things without the anticipation or need for anyone else to see it happen. Be a living sacrifice to your Father’s plan for this brand new day. Let the words of your mouth and the meditations of your heart be pleasing in HIS sight. We are starving for your farmer’s market variety of fabulous fruit. Inspire me, inspire us all, with the authenticity of one who remains [continues to exist, endure, last, abide, carry on, persist, stay, prevail, survive, live on] IN Christ alone. And may your voice resound above the empty chatter of an enemy who is most afraid you just stopped listening.
(Friends, it’s good to be back.)
_____________________________
She’s back!
Quit your whining! You act like a spoiled brat. Some of us do not know how we are going to buy groceries or gas this week.
Kay, I’m so sorry to hear that you are facing these kind of deeply difficult days. I pray right now, with you, that you find the inspiration your heart needs to be and do the great things you are most personally called to do. And that God directly meets every need you place at His feet. Thank you for stopping by my site.
YES! …”We’ve got to help each other remember. This war is intended to be fought together. It’s a shared responsibility, and your voice, my voice, are required for this great commission.” As we remain in Him.
So thankful you are writing again…it’s a gift to us!