One time when I was in college, a campus pastor asked me to “draw out” my faith journey. At the time, I thought he was crazy. How does one “draw out” a faith journey? Sitting there, alone with my thoughts and praying for the Holy Spirit to guide me, I drew a peach tree. I am not sure if God was at work in planting seeds that would later lead me back to serving here at Peachtree Church in student ministry. But I do know that this visual memory has stuck with me.
The image of the “peach tree” comes from Jesus’s teaching in John chapter 15. I have seen the gardening work of our Father right here in our congregation. Those “branches” or young adult leaders invested in me through my elementary days, those awkward middle school days, and then the too-cool-for-school high school days. They planted seeds in my life that would later become fruit-bearing branches. The peaches in this visual grew from the Godly seeds planted in me so that I could be able to serve, to grow, to encourage—and then to pass on God’s love to others.
The roots planted in the “peach tree” of your life and mine were planted firmly by our heavenly Father generations ago. The branches of this tree are those youth leaders who were called to invest in me and to steward me toward a life in Christ. They reminded me that when I remain in Him, I, too, will produce an abundance of Godly fruit.
Seasons are a part of life. As in a garden, we all have some seasons that are harder than others, seasons when no fruit is produced. While we might do all the good deeds and say all the right things but fail to trust in the love of Jesus Christ, we are not allowing the Spirit to bear fruit in our lives. When we do remain and abide in Him, Jesus prunes the branches that do not produce fruit and replaces them with new life and with new fruit-bearing branches.
Whenever there is disruption, Jesus calls us to us to “remain in Him.” We can question Him and cry out to Him. But in these difficult times, Jesus simply calls us to remain, abide, dwell, and truly focus on Him, the true giver of life.
We are the branches of the vine. Through the abundant grace of Jesus, we are able to claim the beautiful fruit that only Jesus can provide: joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Whenever we think we can go off on our own and follow our own desires to produce our own fruit, Jesus quietly and simply reminds us to remain in Him.