“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John 15:1-4

Dear Jesus, You are the vine that feeds me grace, truth, and peace in my life. When I stay connected to you by reading and meditating on your word, I feel the power to love people around me in unique and powerful ways. But when I stop feeding on your words, I soon dry up spiritually and am reduced to anxiety, crabbiness and selfish motives. I’ve also noticed another thing; I get surprised by hardships our heavenly Father sends my way and at first I want to complain and sulk. But if I am feeding on your word, I can even find joy in loving another person who seemed to be an interruption to my life of tranquility. I feel the pruning deeply and am coming to appreciate that the divine gardener is always up to something good even if it means my own pain. I will remain in you through devotion to your word, while the Father decides how much to cut back in order to make me bear the fruit he wants to last. Teach me, oh Savior, to live in the same fruit-bearing love that you did. Amen.

The only way to love others like they need it, is to be loved like you need it.