And that leads to another thing I love about Wisteria--the very fact that their vines must have something to cling to in order to grow.
Wisteria don't just spring out of the ground and develop into bushes or trees. Nope, no such thing as a Wisteria shrub. Instead, their vines search for sturdy bushes or trees to twist around and cling to so that they can survive and grow. You'll never find a lone ranger Wisteria--they've gotta find something to climb upon in dependence. But once the Wisteria discovers it's host, well, it's off to the races, producing blooms that will knock your socks off.
Despite their showy--look at me!--appearance, I guess you could say Wisteria are actually highly dependent, needy plants who truly need community!
Sound familiar? What a vivid picture of how we bloom and flourish when we daily, moment-by-moment, look to and depend upon the Lord Jesus. We need to be in community as well--first and foremost in community with the One who made us, knows us perfectly, and loves us infinitely. But secondly, in community with other believers. We need one another--to encourage when we're struggling, to correct when we're going off base, to strengthen when we're feeling weak, and to laugh, cry, learn, and share life with day by day.
Boy, I've learned the hard way that whenever I try to figure out life all on my own...or grit it out with my ceaseless striving...or simply ignore God's Word and ways and determine to strike out all on my own, well, it's pretty much always a mess. A discouraging, exhausting, lonely, ugly, unhappy mess.
Oh goodness, it's so silly, so sad, to grimly go it alone when God offers us an infinitely better way: look to and depend upon Him. His enabling power. His amazing grace. His wonderful wisdom. His glorious promises. And His sovereign, perfect plans and ways. And secondly, to share our struggles and sorrows, our joys and triumphs with one another. God made the mathematics of community--sorrows shared are diminished but joys shared multiply exponentially!
And what's our job? Abide in Him. "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." (John 15:4-5)
We're to abide in Him. Walk with Him. Follow and trust and depend upon Him...like that Wisteria vine looking for a tree or bush to cling to in dependency. When we depend upon Him then we'll flourish and bloom wherever He chooses to put us.
Thank You, Lord, for community--with You and with others. Help us to abide in and walk with You moment-by-moment, and enable us to love and share with the people You've so graciously placed in our life. Teach us the joy of godly dependence.
And thank You, Father, for Your astounding, wondrous creation...including Wisteria!
To God be the glory.
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