Fruit trees

This morning I managed to do what I had made plans to do way back in a previous post and went for a morning's quiet time whilst J had Chloe. It felt like such a good time to do it as I am reaching my due date soon and I'm sure it will become even harder to have quality time with God once the new baby is here.

Adding to that I have also had a couple of promising false start to labour recently which have served to show me that I don't quite feel 'ready' for the baby to arrive and I have been relieved rather than frustrated when the contractions have fizzled out! (Don't tell J - he's desperate for it all to start!).

I don't want to go into too much detail about the morning as it was a really special, intimate time with God but I do want to share the main thing he spoke to me about as I think it may be helpful for other parents.

I was walking in an orchard of fruit trees (I actually was, not a picture !) and God made me look at these trees which had been cut back and were bare and not very attractive. I had been listing all the worries I had about going from one to two children and how I didn't know how to cope with all the issues I imagined I would face. God reminded me of the following verses in Jeremiah 17:

7 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD.
8 He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit."

The tree doesn't need to know about pruning or how to produce more fruit. All it has to do is to send its roots deep into the stream. It just has to receive the nourishment and flourish!

God then led me to John 15:1-17 which is the passage where Jesus says he is the vine and his Father is the vine-dresser. He says:
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. v5

As a mother all I have to do is abide in Jesus and find my strength and resources in him. In the same way that I am clueless about gardening, I am also clueless about bringing up 2 children! But that is ok because God will give me wisdom where I feel foolish and strength where I feel weak. (And energy when I feel like collapsing in a heap!)

I feel so refreshed and prepared now. Not because of any confidence in myself but because my Maker has given me this baby which is about to make an appearance and he will not lead me into any situation which I cannot handle.
Thank you so much Lord for being the stream that sustains me and the vine which I can abide in.