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“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” John 15:4
Fruit Cocktail Jello Salad--you know the kind I’m talking about, we’ve all had it. Remember Granny taking the can of fruit cocktail and dumping it into the fruit flavored, liquid Jello and then pouring the mixture into in a pretty Jello-mold?
I recall watching carefully to see where all the cherries were settling so I could dig them out when the Jello was done. They were my favorite!
You never knew where all the pieces of fruit would end up, but one thing was for sure, it was not easy to retrieve your favorite without leaving an unsightly hole in the beautifully molded Fruit Cocktail Jello Salad!
I’ve heard it said that rearing children is like making Fruit Jello. While they are young their hearts are more apt to receive what you contribute and as the children grow it is harder to “pour into them.” On the other end of the spectrum, it is nearly impossible to get back what has been deposited without leaving noticeable holes.
I have found this to be true in my own life, my very own “Fruit Jello Salad” so-to-speak; compliments of the cooks: my parents, teachers, pastors, friends and experiences.
There are countless examples of situations where fruit was dropped into my “Jello Salad,” fruit that I'm sure was not on the ingredient’s list. And not the yummy cherries; I mean, you can’t have too many of those! The fruit I am referring to was sour and soggy.
Over the years I have learned that much of this mushy, bitter fruit that has plunged into my heart didn’t belong there. It served no useful purpose. These pieces of "fruit" were lies that were hindering my relationship with Jesus. Lies that the enemy tried to trick me into believing.
He wanted me to believe that I was a mistake.
A worthless life.
A nobody, with no real purpose.
Lies about who God is.
And that He didn’t really like me; He loved me, yes, but He tolerated me more than liked me.
The enemy wanted me to believe that unless I was the perfect Christian God would reject me, just like many others in my life.
However, as I got to know my Savoir personally I saw clearly that the stinky, rotten fruit needed to be quickly removed and replaced with nourishing, wholesome fruit.
So. I began to dig.
At first the empty holes were deep and unsightly. Everything looked messy and impossible to fix. But, as I began to spend time with Him, those ugly holes that were left exposed began to fill in with yummy, life-giving fruit. That’s what happens when we abide in the Vine, we bear fruit!
"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” John 15:4
I wonder...what is your “Jello Salad” filled with?
Are there ideals in your heart that need to be removed?
Wrong thinking?
Lies you have come to believe?
Sure, you can get in there and dig out the soggy fruit on your own, but you will be left with a big, ugly mess.
Why not go to the One who created you and let Him fill in those unsightly holes with love and truth?
Spend time with Him daily. Trust me, it’s for your own benefit!
Learn what the Word says about Him.
And what the Word says about you.
Read about what Jesus went through just to be with you. He paid a high cost to spend time with you. In fact, He wants to spend eternity with you!
Would you let Him replace the unsightly scars in your heart with new, delicious fruit that will reproduce in your life and in the life of those around you?
by Tami Jasso
January 15, 2015
January 15, 2015