The Ability Cord

My little one said the funniest thing last night... but before I tell you what she said, I must fill you in on the fact that our cat recently had kittens. Lots of them... but that will be another post.


Anyway... Last night, Anna came into the living room where her dad and I were sitting and announced, "Yuck... there is an ability cord on the floor next to the kittens bed".

I said, "What kind of cord??".

She looked at me like I was crazy... and announced once more, "an ABILITY cord".

I laughed and looked at my husband and said, "I think that she must mean an umbilical cord".

But either way... I sent him to check it out. While he was gone... I sat there and laughed. An ability cord. My mind wondered just a bit to the birth of our babies and the cutting of the umbilical cord. (sorry if that is too yucky... I won't stay here long) I thought about the fact that without that cord... the baby couldn't live and grow. It is what connects it to the source of its life until it can live outside the womb on its own.

Then my mind JUMPED to something that Jesus told us in the gospel of John. John 15:5 says,

"I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

The only ability that I have comes through the cord (okay... the vine) that connects me to my Father. He says that I can do nothing without Him. He is MY ability cord. Without it... I can do nothing. God IS my ability cord.

Then... I wondered how many times have I tried to cut that cord so that I could live on my own?? Way too many times to count. Thankfully these days, God doesn't allow me much time to flounder on my own before He reminds me that I can only do things through Him. Without Him, I can do nothing. Oh well... Of course, I can do them... they just don't bear any fruit for the Kingdom. And as a branch... that is my sole purpose... bearing fruit for the Vine. Bearing fruit for my Father.

When my husband returned from the other room, the smile on my face was different. While it may have started with a laugh about something Anna said that was funny... God turned it into a moment between Him and me. (or is it I?? I don't remember)

Why do I try to cut that cord and do things on my own?? Have I forgotten how faithful He is?? Have I forgotten all of the storms that we have weathered together? Have I forgotten that He is the source of my very life?? Have I forgotten that He knows the number of hairs on my head?? Have I forgotten that He spoke the world into being... yet cares about every little thing in my life??

I realized that God was telling me to put away my scissors and stop trying to cut the cord. He is my Ability Cord. Without Him... I can do nothing. I can rest in that. AND, I will choose to rest in that.