A Vital Union

Greetings!

I praise the Lord for bringing my family and me safely through Hurricane Irma. We were without electricity for six days, but hey, that's a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things. Our house is still standing, and my husband's business is too! AMEN!

Immediately after the storm we started cleaning up outside. It seems like every tree in Miami was either blown away or knocked down, mine included. And I was surprised by something I noticed: Within a couple of hours, downed limbs that were once a vibrant green were a dull and dying brown. It didn't take too long for complete death to set in.

This observation really brought a Bible verse to life in a

"I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit; apart from Me –

that is cut off from vital union with Me – you can do nothing"(John 15:5).

We must stay connected to Christ to bear fruit. In the Bible fruit refers to life-giving attributes like joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness etc…

And a vital union with Jesus is the key to having these in our lives.

The way we remain in Christ is through prayer. When those first winds from Hurricane Irma barreled through my neighborhood it sounded like a freight train, and I was sure every last shutter was flying off the windows. I found such peace in asking the Lord to protect me and those who were riding out the storm with me in my home. I was also greatly comforted in asking the Lord to spread His protectiover my daughter, my son-in-law, and the precious baby they are expecting.

"Surround us with your Angels, Lord!" I fervently cried.

Nothing like a Hurricane to really hammer home the point of just how vital our union with Christ is!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for seeing us safely through the storm. We choose to stay close to You, tethered to You,  depending on You, looking to You to keep us in peace. We desire to be full of life. None of us wants to wither away in despair. You are our source of Life and Light! In Jesus' name, AMEN!