Abiding

My husband was home sick from work yesterday with a fever.  NO fun--poor guy!  He sacked out most of the morning and early afternoon while the kids and I had school.  Fortunately, he was feeling MUCH more himself by evening time.  What I couldn't get over, however, was how much our pet cat, Emmet, stuck by his side.  I kid you not--this little guy curled up next to Daddy from about 5 am until 3 pm without moving much more than an inch! Now granted, cats love a good nap anytime of the day, but what you may not know is how much our little feline family member loves to EAT!  But no, Emmet stayed put without taking a snack break (or a bathroom break!), sleeping or awake until my husband eventually got out of bed.

Now, this got me thinking about a very important concept we as believers are commanded to do as it pertains to our Heavenly Father, and that is to ABIDE.

We don't use this word much in our current English vernacular but what it simply means is "to dwell or remain."

In other words, to stick close.  To not budge.  To hang tight.

Just like our buddy Emmet.

Jesus also shows us another picture of what abiding looks like in John chapter 15....

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.  Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. " (John 15:1-5)

But what does ABIDING really look like in our daily lives?  Well, for me this week, it means pouring over God's Word with a steaming cup of coffee every morning.  It means being prayerful at the start of the day, and all throughout the day, in all those quiet (and even chaotic!) moments.  It means saying something that may not be easy to say to a large group of women because the Lord is burdening my heart to say it.  It means cancelling my ladies' Bible study group when my husband is under the weather so I can better minister to my family.  It means taking a meal down the street to a family whose son was just diagnosed with cancer.  It means popping a card in the mail to a friend whose father just died.  It can be ALL the little things of the week that you are prompted to do or say as the Lord gently nudges you.  In short, it is being in constant communion with the Lord and being in a state of constant availability to lift a prayer, say a word, do a deed, give a hug, or lend an ear.

My friend, let us all aspire to not just DO, but BE.  To ABIDE.  To DWELL with our Lord.   To snuggle in tight and feed off His Word, and pay more attention to what HE says than what our "to do" list tells us to do!  I pray we all would abide and remain in the True Vine and drink of the richness only HE has to offer!