Dead in the Water

Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

John 15:4

Just last week my husband and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. In this COVID era, our celebration was understated. Just some time together (sans the kiddos) enjoying nature, each other, and some good Indian food! As part of our celebration hubby showed up with a vase of fresh flowers. It was a beautiful mix of Stargazer lilies, red roses, and those filler green flowers that only florists know the names for. When he first brought it home many of the flowers were already in bloom. But there was still one lily, waiting to burst forth into brilliance. After a few days, we noticed the closed petals starting to open. Each day brought a slightly larger glimpse of its interior until finally, it was on full display.

My daughter delighted in looking at the flowers. She would often be the first to notice the opening petals and beckon to the rest of us. "Oooh, look!" her excitement often uncontained. One day she came home from school to a surprising revelation. "What's wrong with this one?" she said. While we were keeping a daily watch on the blooming flower we had failed to pay as close attention to another one. The leaves on the white and pink speckled lily had begun to shrivel. Its bright colors now starting to fade in comparison to its younger counterpart.

"It's starting to die," replied my son, matter-of-factly. My daughter's smile began to fade as she realized that soon the flowers she admired so much would be shriveled, dried up versions of their current selves. Flowers just don't last as long as they could when they are not connected to their root source.

Just like flowers, people need connection. But not just any ol'connection. They need a connection to a living source that can continuously fuel them. The intricate root system of a plant or tree is much more complicated beneath the surface than it appears. Food and other nutrients fuel a plant for its lifetime but only when it is connected to its source. Apart from it, it cannot last. As God's creation, we were designed to be in fellowship with Him.