15 “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. ³ You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. ⁴ Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

⁵ “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. ⁷ But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! ⁸ When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

⁹ “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. ¹⁰ When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! ¹² This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. ¹³ There is no greater love than 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 slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. ¹⁶ You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. ¹⁷ This is my command: Love each other.“

John 15:1-17

Dear God, this whole passage is beautiful. Just beautiful. Oh, how I want to be the fruitful person described here. I want to be so close to you that I just naturally bear the fruit Jesus references.

I hope I’ve been able to be a fruitful person for your kingdom over the last two days. I’ve been attending a funeral for a dear woman, and there are multiple layers of family conflict all over the place. I found myself trying to just be a loving, positive presence in the midst of it all. My wife and I both did. And then we heard something from one of our relatives. One of them told us a story from seven years ago. Apparently, at a previous family gathering, one of our nieces, who would have been about 12 at the time, was looking at my wife and me across the room and told another relative that we are “relationship goals.” That was so sweet to hear. I was so grateful to hear that. Not only because it complimented my wife and me, but because I know this child has witnessed a number of unhealthy relationships. To think that when this, now young adult woman, sees us she sees us as an example to consider is…well, it’s a relief. I’m so glad that, if nothing else, we could offer her that.

Even now, as I sit here, my wife is in another part of the house listening to Ashley Cleveland singing “Jesus” by Rich Mullins. She is connecting herself to your vine as we start our day. I am sitting on the sofa praying to you. Connecting to your vine. And I will make mistakes today. I will sin. There probably aren’t many of the 10 Commandments I won’t violate, including observe the Sabbath since I’ll be driving over 400 miles today to get home. But maybe I can start with making you my God and having no others gods before you. Then Jesus can take it from there. Redeem my failures. Somehow use them to touch others. Make be “fruity.” And do it for my good, the good of the world around me, and your glory.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen