“Oh holy night, the stars are brightly shining…” Just as the wise men looked to the stars many Christmases ago, we too seek a bright star to guide us in our celebration of Jesus’ birth. Throughout the season of Advent, we are sharing daily reflections from the people of Saint Luke to help brighten our paths. Our daily writers offer to us their reflections on the various names used for Jesus in the Bible. Together their stars form a constellation of wonder that can fill us with hope, love, peace and joy as we journey towards Christmas.
Today’s reflection is from Gillian Heckert-Mitchell. She was baptized at Saint Luke…25 years ago! She has been on ASP trips (and excited to go back) and helps with the audio/visual team during the service.
TRUE VINE
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.” -John 15:1
The vine is the source of life and connects the branches to the roots. A young vine isn’t successful in growing fruit and is cut drastically back to conserve its life and energy. Once the young vine grows, it produces two types of branches, one that grows fruit and one that does not. The branches that don’t bear fruit are often cut back so they won’t drain the strength of the other fruit branches.
I graduated college in 2020. One day I was enjoying my last few months of college with friends, trying not to worry about finding a “real adulting job” and next thing I knew I was ripped from my college experience, from my boyfriend, from my friends, from my life that I knew. There was no graduation, no celebration, no commemorating all the hard work we had all completed. It was sad, scary, and lonely. It had felt like my source of life had been cut off completely.
For many of us, COVID threw us into the unknown, feeling like our source of life had been cut off. I, like many of you, turned that sadness and loneliness into kindness by helping at a local food pantry, or reconnecting with family, or finding a new passion/hobby.
Over the last two years, I’ve been able to reflect on how the vine wasn’t truly cut off but that the branches were cut back to give me strength, to own my gifts and to launch me into the next thing. Sometimes the vine feels like it's being ripped out when it's really showing you the important things in life–reconnecting you with your source of energy.
Dear God, Thank you for being our source of life. You help us to grow in ways we never imagined and give us strength to ground ourselves in your True Vine. In your name we pray. Amen.