Fruit

Friday was a blast!  Freshly fallen snow, and a day off of school!!!  We took the kids to the sled hill in Delavan.  That was the first time Cale has ever gone sledding on a hill like that.  Boy, was he squealing with laughter all the way down.  What fun!

Today Garth and I went to school and helped the Kindergarteners learn how to roller skate.  Many of them started off using walkers to help them get their balance.  They all did real well.  Only one girl was in tears.  She said she was really scared, but didn’t give up.  It will be interesting to see how they progress.

During my devos this morning I read again in John 15.  The end of verse 16 says, “I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last.”  I was intrigued by that verse so I looked into it more.  I found a sermon from John Piper on the topic.  This is really super cool.  Please take a minute to read it.

Turn the verse around. What if Jesus had said, "I did not choose you; you chose me?" What would

most likely be the point of saying that? Wouldn't it mean, "I'm not bound to you. You wanted

to come along. If the going gets rough, don't come whimpering to me. It's your choice, man. I

didn't stake anything on your success." But Jesus said the opposite: "You did not choose

me, but I chose you. And so the meaning probably is: "Your presence here is my doing and

so I take full responsibility. I know you agreed to join me in this work, but deep in your heart

you know it was I who laid claim on you and so my honor, not yours, is at stake in this work."

If that is what Jesus means, then the reason he said, "You did not choose me, but I chose

you, was to encourage us that he would help us. Therefore, he will not look lightly on

our cry for help, when we say, "Lord you chose me! You are not fickle. You are not

shortsighted. You are not impulsive. Your choices have the weight of eternity in them. You will

not let your chosen one be ruined. Help me, Lord." Such a plea -- if it comes from the heart --

he cannot ignore. His wisdom and constancy and reliability is at stake.

The only fruit that will last is the fruit that grows on the cross.

Oh, amazing!  He truly loves me and cares about my cries for help.

What an encouragement!

Love

Rachel