Flowers on Mother's Day

Jesus, teach me to stay as close to you as a branch to a tree! Amen.

"I am the vine, and my Father is the vine grower," said Jesus. "Just like a branch can't give fruit unless it's attached to the vine, you can't do anything without me. Anyone who doesn't stay close to me will wither away like a dead branch. But if you stick with me, you'll be my follower and give fruit."

Sunday is Mother's Day. That means lots of kids are finally giving their moms the flowers they've been growing in paper cups at school for weeks.

Of course, those flowers started out as tiny seeds that were planted, watered and put in the sunshine to grow and bloom. Without dirt, water and light, there wouldn't be flowers by Mother's Day!

This week's Gospel (John 15:1-8) is about what plants need to grow -- and also about what people need. Jesus reminds His followers that you can't just break a branch off a fruit tree, stick it in the ground and expect it to grow; it has to be attached to the tree to stay alive and give fruit.

People, says Jesus, are like vines. Plants need dirt, water and light to grow; people need God to help them grow. If people don't stay as close to God as a branch stays to the tree it comes from, their lives won't be as good.

Growing flowers for Mother's Day teaches kids how to take care of a plant. Kids who forgot to water their seeds wouldn't get to watch their flowers bloom; kids who really took care of their plants would get the healthiest flowers to give to their mothers.

For us "vines," staying close to God means staying healthy. Jesus promised that people who followed Him would "give fruit" -- they'd be able to help others and be happier themselves. Some people even call that "blooming where you're planted!"