“‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.’”
John 15:1-8 (NIV)
“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 3:10-14 (NIV)
Hey all! My name is Maxime. I have been a member of Servants for over a year now, and I’m very grateful to have found my home church while in college. I’m currently a sophomore student-athlete for the University of Florida and my ministry is witnessing to God’s love in action through swimming. Some of the most important things I’ve gained through my swimming is a real joy, real release, and real relationships. One of the most important spiritual lessons I have learned through my sport is that the reward for faithfulness is pruning. Pruning brings us closer to being the disciples that Jesus has called us to be. Sometimes, it can be painful, but I have always found that on the other side of the pruning, my faith has increased and that I am more in love with my God.
A couple weeks ago, I was reminded of this lesson about pruning. My pastor and I prayed, and I wanted to share the prayer that I wrote with you all. I hope you find it real and encouraging! Because of my writing, I hope that you are able to see Jesus, hear Jesus, and be moved to a deeper love in Jesus.
Here is my prayer:
Jesus, I’m tired of hurting. I’m scared of hurting. I don’t know if I can continue to be positive if I experience another defeat. But Lord, I can’t turn back. I know You have called me to do this. I know that at times I have felt the power of the resurrection giving me new life and I have tasted victory beyond what I could imagine. But, I have also shared the fellowship of Jesus’s sufferings on the cross, I have given my all, and I have ended up empty, broken, and doubting. Lord, I don’t know what this year will be. I don’t know if it will be Good Friday or Easter Sunday or both, and I’m scared because I don’t want to hurt that bad again. Like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, I don’t want to experience that pain again. But not my will, Your will. I trust that if You ask me to go through it, to give my all and to come up short from my goals, that in the midst of all that pain, You will be there comforting and strengthening me, assuring me Your love, and not this pain, will have the last word in my heart. That the pain from Your pruning will always lead to more fruitfulness. Lord, let Philippians 4:13 be true for me. That whether I am successful or if I feel like a failure, You will use it to draw me closer to You and I can grow in Christ in all circumstances. Give me the strength to give my all and then to give You thanks no matter the result. Lord, if in the end, I cry because it hurts so bad please be there to dry my tears so that I can go through for You whatever You ask. Lord, I don’t want to stop caring or say it doesn’t matter, I want to invest my heart and my soul in my understanding of Your call in my life. If you take it in a different direction then I expect You to help me give thanks even when it hurts the most. I love You. In Jesus’s Holy name, Amen.
Maxime Rooney
Maxime’s passions include swimming and writing. As he says, he’s been at Servants for over a year, and he’s very grateful for the community at Servants that creates a healthy environment for him to grow in, personally and spiritually.