Beyond: Day 2
“Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.”
John 15:4 NRSV
Thought
It is impossible for a plant to grow spontaneously without the support of a root system. All living things require connection to a source of nourishment to flourish and produce. There can be no fruit without the vine. You do not grieve or grow autonomously from God, the vine-grower who nourishes and tends you, as your vine imperceptibly grows through grief.
Prayer
God, I am powerless to bear fruit in the world without you, the only source of spiritual sustenance and growth. May I abide in you this day as you abide in me always. Amen.
Assurance
If I abide in the vine, I will grow beyond grief.