The Vine and the Branch

So… here we are.  The very first day of a brand new year. 

If you know me, you know that I am in the habit of choosing a theme for every new year.  Not resolutions.  Just a focus for the year.  And I don’t usually choose that theme myself.  I ask Jesus what the theme for the year should be.

In 2022, the theme was Rest.  Which is hilarious.  Because the one thing I did not do this year was rest.  I over committed myself, and I got all stressed out. And I treated my art and music like jobs that had to be accomplished.  So.  I learned about rest for sure.  About the need for it.  And I was reminded of how important it is to cultivate passion for the things that I love to do.  So that I still… well… love them.  But I did not learn it from doing it.  I learned it from not doing it, and facing the inevitable consequences. 

So I slowed down a bit here at the end of the year. And I discovered that I need to stay in the flow, and paint when I want to paint, and play my guitar when I want to. And an amazing thing is, that I can be trusted to do those things if I am not putting too much pressure on myself. I love them. I don’t have to treat it like a job.

The theme I have received for 2023 is “vine and branch.” Ok…  

In Al-Anon, the 11th step is to form a habit of staying in daily conscious contact with God.  Which is a great start.  And it was an important step for me in my years in the program.  But what Jesus wants is way, way more than that.  He wants union with us.  He wants daily communion at the heart level.  He said it like this:  “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” 

So that is what he means by Vine and Branch.  He wants my focus for 2023 to be union between the two of us.  To be accurate, he wants that with everyone. But that is specifically my goal for this year.   

  And I know that when I do that, stay in the flow and paint out of my communion with God, everything works much more smoothly and my art has a sense of inspiration to it, that is sadly lacking when I am slogging away in the salt mines, so to speak. So let’s hope that I can learn this one by actually doing it.  Instead of facing the natural effect of not doing it.

I have some great things on my easel right now. And more in my heart and mind.

My hope for each of you this year, is a deep, deep, communion with God.  And a natural outflow of your love for whatever it is that gives you joy.

Blessings to you in 2023.  May it be so for all of us.