John 15:15-17  I no longer call you servants, because a master doesn’t confide in his servants.  Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other.

Jesus calls us friends.  He chooses us as His friends.  He confides His truth in us.  He divinely appoints us to produce the fruit of love in each other.  When we obey His overarching command to love, we are deeply connected to Him.  He will give us all we need to love others and remain connected to His lifesource.  As we are the branches to His vine, He supplies all the nutrients for us to flourish and produce lasting fruit.  Let us  trust our deeply-rooted connection to Christ, and become friends with His children.  Christ’s vine proliferates with new branches of beautiful fruit as we love each other. 

Photo: New England