Raisins Are Ugly

I was making my husband's favorite cookies today, oatmeal raisin. And I took note of something so profound. Raisins are ugly.

Really...dried up, shriveled, lifeless little pieces of what used to be considered fruit.
And sadly enough, this made me think about some Christians.


Here is how a California raisin is made:

Grapes must be dried before they can be called raisins. The moisture content of the Thompson seedless grapes, from which natural seedless California raisins are made, is reduced by cutting the fresh grapes from the vine and allowing them to dry in the sun until the moisture level is roughly 15% to 18% water or lower.

Notice...to become a raisin, they must be removed from the vine...then left out in the sun to dry...basically sucking the life from the grape.

John 15:5-8
"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.
6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
NIV

The grape needs the nourishment and protection of the vine to bear fruit and live. So do we. OR, we can walk around like an ugly raisin. And unfortunately, many do.

I am always amazed that we can (for instance) stand in a church service singing "Shout to the Lord all the earth, let us sing- power and majesty, praise to our King!" in the same monotone voice that we would rattle off a shopping list.

Now I know there are always those that say, 'I am not very expressive...I worship God the way I want to and it may be different than you'....blah, blah, blah.
Really? So let me ask...when your little girl gets all dressed up to show you her new dress and the ribbon in her hair...you look at her and emotionless say: "that is nice hunny" without even a smile??

That's what we do to God.

He's created the universe!
Think about it...CREATED the UNIVERSE....and we talk about Him as if He's as common as sliced bread.

Excuses me, but THIS is the God I'm talking about...

Nahum 1:5
The mountains quake before Him and the hills melt away.
The earth trembles at His presence, the world and all who live in it.
NIV

And I think He especially loves it when we honor Him...BEFORE the earth starts trembling and the mountains quaking.

Don't be a raisin Christian...stay attached to the vine ~ HIM ~ and show the world what true joy looks like.
Lay down our offenses and insecurities, quit complaining....and celebrate this awesome life He has given us!!!

If your heart is broken...bring it to Him for healing, He promised He would. And start living the life He intended you to live before the foundations of the earth!!!

Don't be a raisin...raisins are ugly.