"I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant." John 15:5 (TM)

Let me be up front with you – I have a brown thumb. I’m not good with plants and crops. I do, however, have an appreciation for things that grow. I have an appreciation for soil and seed, planting and harvesting, seasons and things organic. You can’t help it growing up in Iowa. It’s becomes a thread in the fabric of your life.

I love that Jesus describes our relationship with him in these terms – "intimate and organic". Like all relationships it ebbs and flows, it’s dynamic, it gives and takes. Too often we try to put our relationship with God into a formula. Read this, say this, pray here…fit thought A into slot B. NOW you have a relationship with God.

I learned long ago not to judge people’s relationship with God. It’s organic and intimate. How can I know it? I don’t know what Holy Spirit is doing in their lives. I don’t know where they’ve been and where they are now or where God is leading them. And who am I to judge them? It’s so organic, I can’t presume to place my formula on top of their relationship with God and come out with a right answer. How silly. How presumptuous. How arrogant.

My job is to simply love them actively, and perhaps to walk along side them for a time.

Creative Commons photo courtesy of Flickr and aussiegall