Wednesday, August 12, 2009

New Beginnings: Jesus Encircles Our Heart


"I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing." John 15:5 (Amplified)



My mother-in-law, June, gave me this vine many years ago. As it began to grow, I started training it to climb my kitchen wall.



After much time, the vine grew across the first wall of my kitchen. My sons said it would be cool if the plant would grow enough to encircle the entire kitchen.



The vine continued to grow until it stretched across the archway Strongman built for me.


More growth occurred until the vine extended over the top of my kitchen cabinets. Notice, there aren't many leaves on this portion of the vine. The plant's position impeded the light from reaching that particular portion of the vine and the leaves turned yellow, shriveled and fell off. Jesus, is Light and "... apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing." We are like the leaves. Our spirits shrivel up without consistant bathing in His holy Light.


The vine has traveled across another wall, and draped itself over my kitchen clock.


The last portion of my kitchen is traversed by the vine.


Saturday, August 8, 2009, the two ends of the vine met just above the sliding glass door which faces the east. The vine has completely encircled my kitchen. I choose to believe this vine represents Jesus who encircles my kitchen, symbolic of the heart of my family.


For the LORD’s portion is His people; Jacob is the place of His inheritance. He found him in a desert land And in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye. Deuteronomy 32:9 & 10 (New King James Version)

Not only do I love the fact that Jesus, the True Vine, is encircling the heart of my family, instructing us and keeping us, but my spirit leaps at the fact that my physical vine completely encircled my kitchen on 8/8/09. The number eight symbolizes new beginnings.

Last year, the Lord had promised "a new beginning." If you remember reading the post, "The Appointed Time: A Prayer Request," you know that God had promised me a specific day for resolution of a particular circumstance that I had been dealing with since 2001.

I began a fast to prepare myself for the date the Lord ingrained in my spirit seven years earlier. Yet, the long-awaited, "Appointed Time" came and went with no visible, physical resolution. BUT I continued to trust Jesus!

Deep in my spirit, I believe that the long-awaited resolution will occur soon. If I am wrong in what I believe, then I will continue to cling to and trust in Jesus!

I write my out of my heart in this matter, because I know you also have circumstances and situations which weigh heavily on you.


Jesus, my precious Jesus, is acquainted with your tears.

He has heard your prayers.

Jesus knows your heart.


Keep on clinging to Him, crying out, and praying. The atmosphere is changing, resolution is on the way! In the great and mighty name of King Jesus! AMEN!!!!

With Much Love...

2 comments:

Crown of Beauty said...

Thank you for this post, both the words and the pictures.

Awesome how that vine has encircled your kitchen...

And I love what you wrote, and I quote:

"I know you also have circumstances and situations which weigh heavily on you."

This is true, there are just things that cannot be openly shared, and thank you for writing those lines. Esp. the prayer that followed it:

"Jesus, my precious Jesus, is a
acquainted with your tears.

He has heard your prayers.

Jesus knows your heart.

Keep on clinging to Him, crying out, and praying. The atmosphere is changing, resolution is on the way! In the great and mighty name of King Jesus! AMEN!!!!"

Thank you, dear Beautiful Grace. Your post was such an encouragement to my heart.

Love
Lidj

Julie said...

Absolutely beautiful! I loved this.... picture, words, all of it... Thank you!