'And He Went a Crooked Mile'

We had big dreams back then, didn't we? We had big plans! We were going to do great things and be set for life. We went here, we went there, we went everywhere, just like in the movies, that's what it would be like, just like the silver screen, all spread out like a banquet. But something went missing. What was it? Something got lost along the way. How did we get locked out? And why was there no one to help and no way to get anyone's attention? The package of promises had our name on it. But after unwrapping all the fancy paper, layer after layer to find what? An empty box. Well, there must be some mistake. Where did we go wrong? We must have walked the crooked mile we thought was just a children's rhyme. There Was a Crooked Man There was a crooked man, And he went a crooked mile, He found a crooked sixpence, Against a crooked stile, He bought a crooked cat, Which caught a crooked mouse, And they all lived together In a little crooked house. "And he went a crooked mile" could mean this or it could mean that, but since we landed here, let's just look around for a minute. A week ago yesterday, my "Wandering Jew" (Tradescantia plant) was looking very proud of herself. She still standing up, so I wasn't worried. I learned about bottom watering. I decided to go run some errands and go for a bike ride and come back. Well, when I got back they had all fallen down. Oh, no, I thought, now what am I going to do? I guessed it was time for snipping and replanting the cuttings. It was very stressful, and, long story short, my poor plant, which by now had a name, Sylvia Plante, looked like she was going to lose many portions of herself. At first, there was hope, I read the drooping leaves after replanting had a name: transplant shock. But soon she was starting to look good again, until I saw some of the cuttings I replanted must have been too short and were dying. Leaves were turning brown. I was pinching them off and throwing them away. I felt so guilty. Poor little plant, she was flourishing, she was looking great, and I murdered her. I drowned her. I am a murderer. I am a black-thumbed disgrace to the plant kingdom. That's what I am. Well, now it looks like we have about four or five plantings that may thrive if I don't drown them again. I promised her I wouldn't drown her. I think she can go a day or two more without watering. What all this brings to mind now is the story in John 15 where Jesus speaks of us being branches of the vine, which he said he was: the vine. I've actually been thinking about that ever since my poor plant become something I needed to tend to. Plants need soil and air and sunlight and water. The dead leaves have to go so the nutrients can go to the parts of the plant that are still healthy. What are the dead leaves? I am sure they could be just about anything that keeps us from wanting to draw closer to the Lord. Bad attitudes, unforgiveness, trusting in our own devices, rather than depending on God. "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples" (John 15:5-8). "You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you," he told his disciples (in verse 3), so we are actually not still on that crooked road anymore. The truth is, believer in Jesus, you have been grafted into the life of God, who is your life. When I first tried to see what the analogy is or the symbolism Jesus was suggesting, I come up with this: We have been planted in rich soil, the water is the word, the sunlight and the air are the Holy Spirit. But there is more to it than that. The Father is the vinedresser, the Son is the vine and we are the branches; the soil is our heart, (whether it is hard, rocky, thorny or good--Matthew 13); the water is the Word, and the air and the sunlight are the Holy Spirit. Now, Matthew 13 contains a whole new set of considerations. But for now, let's just be grateful we have been planted in God's garden, take all these things into consideration, go back and study John 15 and Matthew 13 and ask God to show you what he is saying to you. Meanwhile, here is a revised version of "There was a Crooked Man." There was a crooked man, And he went a crooked mile, Until he found Jesus And abode there for a while; He took a bunny trail or two, But he wasn't really lost, After all, he was just learning How to count the cost.