By Jennifer Greene-Sullivan
This Sunday morning, as we prepared to leave for church, Liam patted his pockets and looked around the dining room. I assumed he was searching for his Bible, which was lying on the table. Instead, Chris held up a small tape measure and said, “Here, Son, don’t forget to put your tape in your pocket.”
I picked up Liam’s Bible and handed it to him. “Liam,” I said, “I promise you that Bible in your hand will be more important than that tape measure in your pocket as your life goes on.”
Chris smiled. “I agree with that, Son.”
We headed out the door.
That morning, our visiting pastor preached from John 15 about abiding in Christ. As he spoke of Jesus as the true Vine and believers as the branches, my mind drifted to a vine I had drawn on the first day back in my classroom. Branches of different sizes stretched from the vine, and a single flower bloomed among them. It was a simple reminder that every branch, every leaf, and every blossom received its life from the same source.
As I listened, I realized the Lord had placed two very different pictures before me in the span of a few hours. One was a tape measure—a tool used to build with our hands. The other was a vine—a picture of the One who builds our lives from the inside out. A tape measure can help construct a shop, a home, or a career, but it cannot produce life. Only the true Vine can do that.
There is nothing wrong with teaching our children to work hard. In fact, I hope Liam always values honest labor and learns the satisfaction of building something well. However, before he learns to build with his hands, I want him to learn to abide with his heart.
Jesus never asked us to manufacture spiritual fruit. He simply called us to remain in Him. Branches do not struggle to create life; they bear fruit because they stay connected to the vine.
The same is true for us. We spend much of our lives gathering the right tools for work, school, and the responsibilities God has entrusted to us. Those tools are important, but they can never replace the One who gives us life.
One day, Liam’s tape measure will wear out and be replaced, and my prayer is that the Bible in his hand will never become just another item he carries. Instead, I pray its truth will take root in his heart, teaching him to abide in Christ every day of his life.
After all, the most important thing we carry is not what fills our pockets, but what fills our hearts.
When our hearts remain rooted in the true Vine, even torn wings still fly.
Leave a Reply