The Humility of the Grafted and the Pruned: In Reference to Trojans, Sales, and Faith.

“The only reason you’re on the tree is because your graft “took” when you believed, and because you’re connected to that belief nurturing root…Be humbly mindful of the root that keeps you lithe and green.”

-       Paul, from Romans 11:19ish.

I hope I don’t make any theological missteps in this, but this comes from a Paul who is addressing the grafts (Gentiles), and referencing the pruned ones (Jews). Jesus is the life and love-giving root, completely holy. Those who turned their backs on the kingdom were deemed useless and pruned, while new branches were introduced to the root, and grafted in.

After reading and thinking about what Paul is getting at (which is way more than I’ve attempted to summarize), I thought about how my own coming to terms with pruning and grafting.

Pruning lesson #1: USC loses to University of Washington

(If you know me, you know why this hurts. It was a game we shouldn’t have lost, but the cards were ultimately in favor of the Dawgs. )

There’s nothing more heartbreaking than a loss like this, especially when it comes from such an underdog.  It shouldn’t be heartbreaking because it is a rarity that a team finishes the season undefeated. However, if you know recent USC football, you will also know that for this team, going undefeated isn’t a rarity, and how easy it is to get caught up in the “Win Forever” mindset.

It hurts when you’re riding high, confident, and your world comes crashing in the form of a team who is coming from the bottom up, and I was reminded that there is no such thing as entitlement to victory.

“And don’t get to feeling superior to those pruned branches down on the ground. If they don’t persist in remaining deadwood, they would very well get grafted back in.” – Rom. 11.23

Pruning lesson #2: Sales

I never studied sales in school, but I came in with the notion that, much like everything else I do, did, will do, that any form of a result is the effect of any form of work, whether it’s good, bad, lazy, tiresome. In the sales world, I’ve come to find that just because it looks like a success, doesn’t mean it is.

What I mean by that is that I get cocky. I’m excited to tell people that I booked a great event, which means I sold a lot of revenue. My colleagues will tell me how excited they are, great job, etc. Does it blow my ego up? Absolutely. And there’s nothing worse than when I have to send a mass email out saying that the client cancelled, or pushed back their event, or for whatever reason, didn’t book.  Even if it wasn’t my fault, I lost that revenue that I was so excitedly talking about just a day before. It’s like celebrating a victory before the clock runs out, you should never do it.

“But if you…being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.” – Rom. 11:17

Ultimately, Paul reminds me to live as a redeemed person. I didn’t deserve this, and I should be continually blown away by the miracle of the graft.

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life- your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life- and place it before God as and offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him.”

- Paul, Romans 12:1

on running.

I’ll never forget this Pearl Izumi ad campaign. I loved it because it was all about runners versus joggers, and how the two are intrinsically different.  The ads were simple, black background with white type, making bold proclamations like, “Runners sometimes jog, but joggers never run.” Or  “If you’re note sure if you’re a runner or a jogger, go faster.”

“Our ancestors never jogged down a meal.”

“Real runners don’t to escape the fact that they are running.”

This campaign was brilliant because it did what ads are supposed to do – make you feel like you belong somewhere because you have the thing they are advertising. 

I love running. It is my escape. Some people enjoy running because they can process thoughts, think about life. I enjoy running because , quite frankly, I don’t think about anything. I’ll never forget my junior year of high school when I found out my ex-boyfriend started to publicly pursue my friend. I saw it on AIM or something, and before you knew it, I was out the door, sprinting as hard as I could. I event remember what I wore – red soccer shorts and a white t-shirt. I remember just going, going, and then realizing when rationale had set in, that if I was going one way, I had to run back the other way to get home.

I don’t run before work often enough, but when I do, I love it. Especially in Santa Monica. Yesterday morning, I ran. The air had a chill to it, and I shivered as I took my first few steps, pressing the start button on my watch out of habit. I have a loop, and it’s pretty much the only route I run in Santa Monica.  I know if I’m running slow or fast based on which apartment buildings I pass at certain times, if I make it between blocks within the same street light sequence.

Yesterday morning, I was two blocks from home, and decided to walk. Now, I should preface this minor detail with the fact that I don’t like to walk. I have short legs, and a complex that says, “someone driving by you is going to see you walking and think that you’re a walker, not a runner.”

However, yesterday morning, I decided to walk home because in those first few slower steps, I felt the weather outside, I was awakened to what was going on around me, and was able to think and pray. I guess I always assume that because running is my physical release, it’s also my mental and emotional release. The way the thoughts came flowing , the way my soul and spirit felt alive and invigorated, was because I took the time to walk, to pay attention, to just invite those senses to be awakened.

Clearly, story of my life. Running and walking. Life-running to me is a Blackberrry wielding, weekly schedule maker, “I only have these nights to hang out” sayer. It gets me from point A to point B quicker, but I think I miss some things along the way. Life-walking to me is the unplanned, spur of the moment, the “let’s hang out because we both find ourselves with time to” kind of self. I love it, and it refreshes my soul, and I don’t walk often enough.