
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. —John 15:5
Reading about lifeforms along Oregon’s Pacific coast, I encountered a word I had never seen before – “holdfast.” This term refers to the structures that attach seaweed to rocks or other hard material on the seabed. Kelp and other seaweeds give off spores which ultimately connect to something hard on the ocean floor and produce a holdfast before growing upwards through the water to the surface. The holdfast enables the plant to withstand turbulent waves and winter storms. Sea otters often wrap themselves in a strand of kelp and go to sleep confident that the kelp’s holdfast will keep them from being swept out to sea.
We humans put down roots of all sorts – hometown, family and friends, school, church and other institutions that claim our loyalty and devotion. At times I get homesick for the mountains of north Georgia. Certain smells remind me of my roots. The sound of wind through pines, the raucous calling of blue jays and the summer song of katydids call me home in my mind.
I know these things are part of my roots, but I have learned that they are not my holdfast. Jesus is that. He has helped me through many transitions in my life, good and bad. He is the one thing that allowed me to survive the loss of my husband. The turbulent waves and howling winds in my life have certainly threatened my peace and sense of well-being, but that strong and steady holdfast that is Jesus has kept me going and thriving in spite of the challenges.
Loving God, what a gift you have given us in your beloved son! As we celebrate once again the season of his birth, help us cling to the vine with steadfast intention and live into the abundant life that he wants for us. We are so very unworthy but we know that we are so loved! Amen.
Betty Schroeder