It is a hectic season. Responsibilities with work, family and church overflow my days. Unloading my work tote, I discovered a leaf lying on the bottom of the bag. I grab it impatiently, but on my short journey to the trash I can notice its beauty. Something makes me stop to look more closely at the leaf. It is deep burnt orange and bright crimson swirled together, so incredibly rich, like a sunset in my hand. The crisp, jagged outline and stem, so perfectly crafted by the Creator, yet no longer connected to its source of sustenance.
BE STILL!
I realize God placed the leaf in my bag to draw my attention to Him in the middle of my hectic life. The Creator and Sustainer of the Universe intentionally reaches out to me with an invitation to connect with Him. So, I pause and decide to accept His invitation. I am seen, loved, cared for by my Beloved. He asks me to linger. It is wonderful to be fully in His presence. In those moments, the words from Psalm 46:10 sink deeply into my soul: “Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God” comes alive in me. I carefully place the leaf aside, as pause for heart-to-heart connection with God.
THE DISCONNECTED LEAF
Days later, I picked the leaf up again, but the leaf in no way resembles its previous beauty. It is an ugly blotched brown, dry, shriveled and crumbling. No longer is it connected to its source of life.
Oh Lord Jesus, is this what you mean when you tell us to stay connected to You, The Vine? When I take time to connect with You, my spirit is alive, vibrant, and beautiful. But when I discard time with You and focus only on the cares of this world, my spirit quickly becomes dry, brown, and crumbled. I do not resemble the creation You intended me to be and cannot do the things You created me to do. “I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
Jesus, in this season when we prepare to celebrate Your coming to earth, draw us to You every moment. Help us keep our eyes and heart fixed on You, not on the distractions swirling around us. Constantly remind us to intentionally connect with You.