Abiding

"As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love." (John 15:9)

Good morning!

One of the most telling caricatures of a "typical" French person is a man in a striped shirt wearing a beret, carrying a long loaf of bread (the wonderful baguette) under his arm with a bottle of wine in the other hand.  While I have seen men wearing berets, and carrying a loaf of bread under their arm, I don't think this is a very flattering portrait.

(Imagine drawing a picture of a typical American.  Hopefully it's not one of THOSE people you meet in Walmart.)

It is true, though, that if I had to include in a drawing some symbols of French living, it would have to include a cup of strong coffee, a baguette, some form of cheese, and a bottle of wine.  

Let me say in advance that I have never tasted any of France's famed wines.  Cheese and bread, yes, in great quantities, but no wine.

I know a lady in my village whose family is in the business of making wine.  Every September she takes a long train trip to the South of France where she will--with many other laborers hired for just such an occasion--work in the vineyard for several weeks to harvest the grapes for that year's label.  I was surprised that in this day and time that any widescale harvesting of any fruit or vegetable had not been mechanized.  I asked her if it was necessary to harvest the grapes by hand.

Shocked by my American ignorance, she replied, "Of course!  If not, it would hurt the vine."

She then went on to explain to me that vines, if properly maintained, can produce a good quantity of grapes for 50 or more years.  There are vineyards in France who have vines that are over 200 years old.  Therefore, in order to avoid harvesting anything but the grapes, workers labor for hours in hunched over positions, gently clipping the fruit and delicately transporting it to those who will make the wine.

Hearing about the vines and its fruits always makes me think about Jesus's "I am" in John 15, describing himself as the true vine, and His Father as the caretaker of the vine.  Abiding in Jesus produces the fruit in my life that shows that I belong to His family, part of his "vine."  The fruit that is produced in my life speaks volumes about the vine to whom I am attached.  I want the "vine" to receive the praise--after all, the fruits are the result of the vine's sustenence:  "without me ye can do nothing." (v. 5)

Tucked in the middle of that beautiful passage is the verse mentioned above:  "As my Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love."

Jesus transmits the Father's love to me, His adopted child, in the same way that the caregiver nourishes the vine who in turn allows the branches to produce fruit.  I am the direct result of the Father's amazing care and of Jesus's transforming love.  The result of this love?  Fruit in my life.

What is the fruit that my life yields?  More love!  Galatians 5:22:  "The fruit of the spirit is love..."

Simply put:  God loves me through Jesus so that I can "continue" in this love, and let it reach others through me. 

Now, there is a "fruit of the vine" that is worth bottling up and sharing!  

Let's hope that this year's "vintage" of love will have a good taste to those around me.