John 15:4

"Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me." John 15:4 (Amplified Bible)

(NIV says it fine. Amplified is just plain rich!)

I love John 15!! I love it because it is so meaningful and so challenging to me. I'm the world's worst "remainer." I can't sit still for a minute. Even tonight, I have the chance to finally sit down and rest, but I have to surf the net and watch t.v. and text a few people at the same time.  I'm famous for cramming my schedule way more full than should be (or is) humanly possible. Last night, I went somewhere to volunteer. They didn't keep me busy enough. True confession: I left and went to Wal-mart. I'm not the one to ask to come somewhere and sit for two hours for nothing.

It is my total natural tendency to decorate myself with artificial fruit - like that hanging on a Christmas tree. It has been my life-long challenge as a type A, workaholic to simply dwell, live, remain, abide ANYWHERE! 

I can't tell you how many times in the last fifteen years I've thought that I had gotten this "abide" thing down - only to miserably fail again. But God is good. He prunes away the useless, fruitless parts of my life and draws me closer and closer in to the source.

He is re-training my mind and my heart to  truly believe that what God really wants from me is ME! Really! It isn't just a cute saying. He doesn't need me to make fruit. He just needs me to stay close, so he can produce the fruit in me.

We'll wrap this up tomorrow. I'd love to hear your thoughts.