SIMPLIFY!

Written June 11, 2012

"I am the vine, and you are the branches. If any [person] remain in me and I remain in them, they produce much fruit. But without me they can do nothing.” John 15:5 (New Century Version)

How simple is that? I am in the process of downsizing my spacious home to be able to fit into a townhome. Recently, I reflected how “downsized” God’s truth is – straight and to the point:

“As long as I remain in Christ, I will continue to bear fruit.”

Grapevines can live to 200 years old and still produce grapes. These old vines do not produce as many grapes as younger ones, but the wine from these “mature” vines is the best.

The scripture does not say that I am to be attached to a particular church, just the Vine of Jesus Christ. As I explore the wider Christian community, it strikes me how the gospel message is pretty much the same from church to church, denomination to denomination.

Christ taught these words to a small group of disciples and he created each of us to live in community. Right now my community is expanding. I still have my closest friends and I connect with them regularly, but I am open to surrounding myself with other varietals of God’s Kingdom. 

My Tuesday morning Centering Prayer group is becoming precious to me as I sit in silence pondering God’s truth along with new friends: I recently prayed for 93-year-old Rollie’s impending back surgery and for his wife LeAnn to experience the peace of Christ.

This fall I will start Christos’ two-year Tending the Holy program, training to become a spiritual director. I anticipate connecting with a peer group of fellow learners with whom I will grow close as we progress together through our training. I consider myself fortunate to have these community pockets during this transitional time.

Earlier in my life the idea of living in a smaller home seemed way too confining. Now I’m ready to pare down, amazed at how many times I have filled our huge recycling bucket with 40 years of stuff. It’s time to sell, give away, recycle and toss the rest.

I never thought I would get to the point that I would be ready to leave my ever-evolving gardens. My aging body and physical limitations have brought me to a fresh sense of freedom – “I can let go of my beautiful yard”. I’m excited to realize more time and energy to pursue new interests. Already I sense the Spirit expanding my ministry in God’s Kingdom; He will enable me to produce the best “wine” as I continue to mature. Hallelujah!

REFLECTION

How have you learned to simplify in an area of your life? If downsizing is a negative:  let God help you see the positive.

The Old Oak Tree Inspires Hope

Psalm 92:14 (NLT) “Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green.”

I have been living alongside this huge oak tree now since 1983. I have prayed over it, not wanting to lose it. I have lost parts of it through storms over the years. Even this year I see many dead branches seeming to mar its glory while providing me a HUGE symbol of hope. Only God knows how many decades this tree has lived. But, year after year it keeps sending out new green leaves and growing new fruit of acorns despite the dead branches. In defiance of the aging process, it keeps on growing. The old oak tree keeps on delighting me year after year as the fresh tiny new oak leaves emerge from the bud and start to grow – it happens slowly enough to notice and yet the tree is seemingly transformed overnight. Year after year it becomes the home where mother raccoon raises her brood of kittens in its hollow cavity – we get a glimpse of momma on a hot, humid day when she chooses to rest on the limb instead of hiding in the hollow. Later in summer, if we are watching, we get to see how many little ones she sends off at dusk.

The old oak tree gives me hope that I can remain vital and continue to grow. As God continues to transform the old oak tree each year into a fresh “new” older version, so He will continue to transform me into this new creation through Christ. Despite the evidences of aging trying to mar God’s glorious creation, there is still much that is vital and “green” about the older me. I want to keep on growing and learning throughout the years God will give me. I want to be a person that provides a sense of stability and comfort as I continue to find my strength for the day’s tasks by resting and trusting in the promises of God.

As the years march on, I keep realizing more and more “dead branches” of my own. My body keeps on breaking down causing me much discomfort. The wrinkles and age spots mar the once beautiful younger me. So many medications give me undesirable side effects leaving me angry at the losses I’m realizing. How can I use the energy of this anger I feel to spur me on to cooperate with God’s transformation of the “new” older me? Perhaps I found my inspiration as the psalmist reminded me to consider the yearly spring season with my old oak tree.

For Further Reflection:

What symbols inspire hope in you?

What “dead branches” of loss give you pain and discomfort?

In what ways are you providing shelter or comfort to a younger person?