John 15:5

 “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. John 15:5

My art challenge this week, #9, is a repeated object, printmaking.  Ironically, printmaking is a method to repeat the same image.  My garden comes to mind right now, in the middle of summer, when brainstorm something that is repeated.  At the end of our garden is a twelve foot long grape arbor, with three plants, all loaded with young grapes, as I type. 

I had never seen grapes growing in person until after I met my husband.  Behind his parents’ house is a vineyard (where later a winery was built, too).  After we were married, my husband built us a small grape arbor and planted three grapes vines.  Each year, he prunes them back and I am always amazed that they end up full of branches and grapes. The original vine (trunk) is extremely sturdy and grows vertically.  The branches shoot off and grow horizontally along the pole.  Our grapevines never fail to produce (even though we neglect to water during droughts, and even some years forget to prune).  I’m quickly reminded of this verse (and many others) that say Christ is the vine and we are the branches.   The branches wouldn't be there without the trunk of the vine.  We wouldn't be here without Christ.