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!

Never Live in the Dark~

John 8:12 "Jesus said, 'I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows me will have a life filled with light and will never live in the dark."

Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida almost 24 years ago on August 24, 1992.  I remember it well.  Jorge, the kids, my grandparents, and I rode it out in a bedroom in the back of the house.  Jorgie was five days shy of his fifth birthday, and slept through the whole terrifying ordeal. Miss Rayray's second birthday was a week away, and she, quite uncharacteristically, sat very unnervingly still in my laps, eyes wide open, as the wind hooped and hollered. 

For the glory of God, our house was still standing after it all ended. The worst for us was no electricity for three weeks; our house was in complete darkness.  Adding to the difficulty was that Jorge left several of the plywood planks up on the windows as an added measure of security. 

Those few weeks were challenging in that all of us - even baby Rayray - experienced our fair share of stubbed toes, bruised knees, and stumbles to the ground.  At one point our two flashlights went kaput, and all the local stores were sold out of batteries.  Trust me when I tell you that candles were inadequate in such pitch blackness.  We celebrated like wild dingoes when the lights came back!

Living in the darkness was no fun and at times dangerous.  The darkness forced us to take tentative steps, and even then there was no guarantee that obstacles could be avoided.

God knows this, which is why He sent the Light that outshines all other light.

When we follow our Jesus, when we pray, when we trust His word, when we reach out to Him with our praise and worship, when we do things His way, we will NEVER LIVE IN THE DARK! What a power-packed promise.

Our lives will be filled with light, with clarity, radiance, and resplendence.  Bright and beaming, letting Christ lead the way, our existence will be unclouded, unconstrained, and uncluttered. 

Excuse me while I do a happy dance!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, You are the Light of the world and the light of our lives.  Shine powerfully in our lives and bless us with wisdom and joy.  We take You at Your word and rejoice that as we follow You, we will NEVER live in the dark. In Jesus' name, AMEN!