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So guys, I’m a whole week late for my turn at the Bible passage a week thing.

Sorry.

But I’m here to do it now and hopefully I’ll still be able to encourage you anyway.

These past three months have been the hardest months of my life. I’ve said that before quite a lot of times, but I usually just mean that I was lonely or frustrated, or lacking creativity. And don’t get me wrong, those things are hard, but these past four months have been a step above that.

To start off with, my dad went into hospital in October. We were in limbo for a long time, and he got progressively worse until he died just before Christmas. I spent my New Year writing a eulogy for him (gotta put those writing skills to the test sooner or later :P)

So yeah, it’s been hard. We had constant back and forth trips of taking up a total of five to seven hours a day, there was uncertainty and tears and a host of other things.

But I wanted to share a passage with you today that’s been a great source of comfort to me. The hospital chaplain and my dad read it over and over again, and one of my dad’s dear friends read it at his funeral.

John 15: 1-17

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 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. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 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.

5 “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. 6 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. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 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. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

I love the picture this passage paints of our complete dependence on God. We cannot do anything without him. Our very next breath is dependant on God. And “abide in His love”? How awesome does that sound. Whenever I think about it, I just imagine God’s massive, strong arms enfolding us in a great big blanket of love.

Honestly, the words here are so difficult to sum up, or to explain, or to understand. I don’t know what to say about them. But I do know that it says, very clearly, if a branch does not bear fruit, it is cut off and thrown away. However, if it does, it is pruned and trimmed–a painful process–so that it will bear even more fruit and so that it will glorify God. God is glorified in our trials, God is glorified by the fruit we bear. If we abide in Christ and cling to the Vine, Jesus will take joy in us, and our joy will be full.

This passage is really awesome, and it’s hard for me to be so open and vulnerable here, when I don’t actually know any of you, but I do know that we all go through trials and seasons of hurt and pain, sometimes they’ll be big ones like cancer or a car accident, and sometimes they’ll be things that might seem smaller, like having a friend drift away, or breaking up with a boyfriend. Whatever it is that is hurting, God is using it to bear even more fruit. I just want to encourage you to turn to God in that hurt and allow him to be glorified and allow yourself to abide in the Vine and in His love.

@chalice @ashira @selah-chelyah @parker @h-jones @libby @eden-anderson

(I sincerely apologise if I forgot anyone, I didn’t do it on purpose)