The chill of the air is upon us again.

Fall is fast falling haha.

I don’t know about you but when the chill of the air comes, I think of one thing.

Not Halloween.

Rather, I think about the warmth of my wood stove.

I almost can’t wait to get it going. I process all the wood we burn over the winter with my father.

It’s a very satisfying process for sure.

It takes work to make the heat that we so often take for granted. The warmth that makes homes comfortable.

Maybe because I have a hand in the process more than most. There is a greater pull to stay… to abide by the fire.

There is something simple about this, yet profound as well.

A lot of people know about the verse where Jesus says,

Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can’t bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me. I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:4-5, WEB

I used to feel like Jesus was pushing up against my mojo in saying this. Felt somewhat condemning.

I wasn’t thinking about it right. It’s not a confrontation from him. It’s an invitation.

An invitation for us to be warm. An invitation for us to be filled. An invitation for us to enjoy kindness and love – among himself and others. Even if the world outside starts to get cold.

I feel it isn’t him saying we can’t do a damn thing without him. It’s more like he gives a damn about how its done. He doesn’t want us to struggle alone. He doesn’t want to push us back, do it all for us, and take all of the credit.

He wants to empower, work out of the goodness of his heart, and accompany us in the thing called life.

He wants to abide with us inasmuch as he desires that we abide in him.

It’s an easy thing to forget how relational God is. All three of the members.

Yet God is.

To abide in him is to say yes to warmth.

To abide with him is to invite healing.

To sit among the King of Kings is to enjoy what was always meant to be received as a gift.

Not as a payment for striving.

Going forward… I will “strive” to rest.

I will abide. I will fall.

But I’ll get up and press on through the autumn, winter, and onward. He abides in me, and better now… I in him.

Abide… for he is by your side.

Abide.