In that blueberry path, on a hot July day, I thought how faith grows when one realizes the possibility that we do not know it all, when we concede there might be more to God than we know – and we are willing to step into those paths that speak of a closer relationship with God – believing what Faith said about God, causing Hope to leap in expectation, focusing on the goodness of God, trusting, having confidence that there is more to God, though we may not know what that more truly is.
“Living in Him” reminds me of when I so loved my husband that we married and we moved in together – and when I don’t see him, eat with him, walk with him, talk with him multiple times daily, I miss him, get a little wigged out because that kind of commitment is the grafting together of two people into one, changing who they were before.
Yet, though my husband completes me, it is not as powerful a grafting, as being grafted into our Lord and living in Him.
According Leonard Hertz in his article, Grafting and Budding Fruit Trees, “Fruit trees cannot be reproduced “true” to the original cultivar from seed. They can only be reproduced by grafting.”
There is a difference in the fruit we produce when grafted into a relationship with the Father. We can only bear the true fruit from the Father by being grafted into Him. Being good alone, then, just won’t work. The fruit is not quite the same. Only when we are grafted in to that intimate relationship can we truly bear the fruit of God.
Hertz also said, “Grafting is useful, however, for more than reproduction of an original cultivar. It is also used to repair injured fruit trees or for top-working an established tree to one or more different cultivars.” Through this grafting “in Him” a spirit crippled and abused can be repaired, healed, made whole.
God wants me to have that kind of “Living-in-Him” type of relationship, to be grafted into Him – and that is the only way to produce God’s true cultivar, fruit selected for desirable characteristics that can be maintained by being grafted into Him: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
What is love without God? What is joy without God? What is peace, forebearance, kindness, without God? Goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control – without God?
They are different fruit cultivar without God.
Maybe, if I can find that kind of message in a blueberry patch, just maybe, I can introduce that kind of relationship to my sons, and just maybe one day, maybe they will have a blueberry patch moment, other than a whining, complaining, are-we-done-yet moment. Just like the tree-farmer passes to his child the craft of grafting, fruit trees and harvesting, so, too, do I want to pass to my sons the knowledge of being grafted into an awesome God.
I’m sure your sons are learning…reading through your words, your actions…You are God’s epistle.
May our roots ever go down deeper into His ground of love sister…Thank you for reminding us that apart from Christ, we are truly nothing! Blessings.
A strong reminder of how we should live.
Hope you are having a great week.
I know watching us is more powerful than any words we tell them – my son once said that he checked to see if we “walked what we talked.” That fruit being active in our lives really can’t operate without grafting into Him. What a wonderful reminding post this is of that power of grafting. Thank you!
Loved this. I’m so very thankful we’re grafted in.
Love this passage of Scripture.
Hey Gal! I love your blog! This post was super! I was just thinking last night and this morning how we cannot truly know love, joy, peace, longuffering or any other wonderful attributes without knowing God. God is love, so therefore to know God is to know love.
God bless you and your family.
PJ
I am so happy to hear about your son! He shall remain in my prayers for as long as you need him to be, as will you. I look forward to hearing more about him. I think you have my e-mail, but just in case you don’t and would like to write, it is p.creek54@gmail.com I look forward to hearing from you.
God bless you and yours,
PJ
Thanks for stopping by my place…great picture of grafting…I especially like…”God wants me to have that Living in Him…type of relationship….
Good post..
Blessings~
I love this paragraph:
God wants me to have that kind of “Living-in-Him” type of relationship, to be grafted into Him – and that is the only way to produce God’s true cultivar, fruit selected for desirable characteristics that can be maintained by being grafted into Him: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
True, true, true… Since joining the Hello Mornings Abiding Fruit bible study, I’ve been working with our 8 year old on the fruits of the Spirit. He’s learning the definitions and how they are to be a part of who we are ~ daily. The key is abiding.
Thank you for this post!
My boys and I are reading Jacob chapter 5 in the Book Of Mormon and it talks about the Olive trees being grafted, with meanings similar to what you expressed. It’s a hard chapter to get through with the boys (ages 2, 5, and 8) but one that I do love…God’s love for us is so BIG and wonderful!
Hi Mary Leigh, it feels good to be back on your blog. It’s been a while… as I can only visit one or two blogs at a time, and today, I chose to visit yours. As always, there are gold nuggets for me to take away when I leave. I never thought about the analogy between grafting a fruit tree and being grafted into the True Vine. What you wrote here is really striking.
But come to think of it, Jesus invites us to come to Him if we are weary and tired from living life in our own strength… He knows we could never bear fruit without His life flowing in us!
When my children were young, they were a happy mixture of nice and not nice qualities. I found myself lifting them up to the God who is able to re-create… re-father… re-make people, give them a hunger and a thirst to be like Him…
Now that they are all grown and living on their own, I realize that God has indeed answered my countless prayers offered for them!
Yes, it does take time to grow fruit… I know you”re not giving up!
Thanks for this great post, dear friend.
Love
Lidia
They will see your example and internalize it, I’m sure. Their moment may not be in a blueberry patch, but it will be equally meaningful for them.
nice…much to learn of the natural world and creation and how it plays into our spirituality….the word abide carries much weight for me…and i like your thoughts on grafting…as they say at the church…this will preach…smiles.
Thanks for stopping by my blog and following. I am following you now thru RSS Reader. I did not see GFC or Facebook so that is the only thing I followed on. If you have more places you want me to follow then leave me the links. Again thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!
Mary@http://www.mmbearcupoftea.com
I definitely believe you’ll get your blueberry patch moment. Beautifully written. And I never knew all that about grafting!
LOVE this. i hope to share this with my sons too, friend. beautiful prose.
Thank you for stopping by my website & the compliment on the wedding tees. I’m looking forward to having a great time. Have a blessed & wonderful weekend…enjoy.
Sonya M. Jones
Tee-iabo Designs
I am thanking God for our “grafted-in” connection! I am encouraged this morning by your post!
Blessings, Joan
I love the image of grafting healing a wounded, broken tree, just like grafting ourselves onto God heals our broken and flawed spirits. Beautifully and eloquently written.
Beautiful post and imagery. I’m so thankful this broken, wounded soul was adopted, grafted and adopted into God’s loving arms.
Interesting lessons learned from a blueberry patch. I’m glad you shared them with us.
Blessings,
Charlotte
“We can only bear the true fruit from the Father by being grafted into Him. Being good alone, then, just won’t work” – love that! So true. Sometimes I have to check what I’m involved with to see if it an “alone” project or an “In Him” project! This was good – love where you get your messages!