I'll stay if you stay

It was a windy early morning many years back when my boyfriend and I sat at Sunken Garden in U.P. contemplating our relationship down the road.

"I'll stay if you stay..."


That's what he said to me.

It was years after when I heard these words again.  Jesus spoke those words to me, one quiet afternoon at home. 

Jesus:   Remain in me and I will remain in you. (John 15:4)


Je:   But I’m not going anywhere, Lord, now that I found you.  You are my only god. I will absolutely stay.


Jesus:   You did not choose me but I chose you (john 15:16)


Je:   I promise Lord I will remain in You. I will not stop going to church, I will continue tithing, I will memorize your Word, I will attend small groups.  I’ll stay so you’ll stay.


Jesus:   You will remain in me by keeping my commands (john 15:10)


Je:   Oh yes, Lord, that's what I said. I will keep your commands. I will not stop going to Church, I will continue tithing, I will memorize Your Word, I will attend small groups,


Jesus:   My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. (John 15:12)

I don't get it. Love each other? Of course! I love my family and friends. I really don’t have any problems with that.  It ridiculously sounds simple! 

It took many months but Jesus slowly showed me what He meant.

I love my family and my friends….but only because they love me too.  Now when I don’t get my way, I don’t feel like loving. That’s how it’s like already with people who love me, I realized, horrified. Oh how less love there is in me for those people I don’t even know and especially people who mess with me!

And Jesus is asking us to love each other. 

But it’s tough, really tough to love. Well, I can choose to be unkind just to give way to my anger. But...but I would be doing exactly the opposite of LOVE.  

And would Jesus remain if I defy His command? I don’t think so.

But It’s just so tempting to unLOVE when you're angry!

These were the words battling in my mind when suddenly that small voice that we’re all so familiar with, the tender voice of the Shepherd, softly spoke in my heart:

“Apart from me you can do nothing….”  (John 15:5)

At first I was scared because if I don't obey Jesus' command to love and He leaves me then I am nothing!  But then it dawned on me, Jesus will be with me to enable me to do the very thing that He commands SO that He will remain in me.

We fondly refer to it as GRACE.   Amazing, isn’t it?


That's who my God is!