True Vine Abiding

According to Henry Blackabee in Experiencing God, God is always at work and He invites us to join Him.

But if we’re too busy to sit still…to be quiet…to simply abide, we might miss His voice and the accompanying invitation.

In our culture, we know all about “busy” and “noise,” don’t we?

On May 22nd, God extended an invitation to me to abide. I know what you’re saying. Duh! He gives us all that invitation, and you’re right. He does.

But this time, there was something…different. Significant. I sat by myself on the deck in the quiet of the evening and studied John 15. Prayed through it. Journaled about it.

I felt a calling to invite others into this time of abiding. Not with me, but in tandem. Like preschoolers playing together, in parallel. It was fuzzy at the time, but clear enough that I created this:

A couple of weeks later, I read a blog post from Aglow and guess which Bible passage was quoted prominently? Yep. John 15.

And then I quit.

But I couldn’t shake this idea of what might happen if a community of people were willing to take the True Vine Challenge, to spend time abiding and then share their stories.

Days turned to weeks. Nearly a month passed. The Vinedresser watered the seed and kept a watchful eye on the young plant during the week of 100+ degree temperatures.

He cupped His hands around His mouth and continued calling, “If you abide in Me…”

There was still a big weed I had to pull.

Competition.

I don’t like hate losing. I’d rather not compete than face Failure or her cousin Rejection.

My friend Sandy has been exploring the word “Still” since late January and she’s doing an amazing job with breathtaking photos and beautifully penned (or typed) words.

Abiding sounded too similar to still.

The Vinedresser was persistent.

A few days ago I sent Sandy a rambling message. I told her about my idea and asked her if she’d mind if I did a similar link up.

“I love John 15! The only competition here is pressing on and pressing in to know Him, right? And if we run together, maybe we can hold one another up, pull more along. I think you go, girl. With whatever He lays on your heart and whatever day that might be.”

Her response wasn’t like  someone concerned about site traffic and high ranking analytics. This is a woman filled with the confidence that comes from being Still. Trusting in the True Vine.

Won’t you join her? Or me? Or both of us? Make a commitment to abide and then share your experience beginning next week.

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. – John 15:5.

(Apparently Deidra hears the same call. Can you believe that??? I read her post after writing this.)

*Next week I’ll publish a blog post about abiding, include a linky tool so you can connect, and I’ll share the True Vine Challenge photo as a button that you can use on your own blog.