Meeting Jesus In The Vineyard

As spiritual seekers we long for a authentic encounter with the divine. However, in our efforts to make this connection we can become frustrated and disappointed in our progress. At times we may even become disappointed in ourselves and wonder if, perhaps, we are not "spritual" enough. This is a guided visualization designed to provide a experience that allows the listener to connect with Christ in an intimate way and to rest in His presence. To experience the relief of totally letting go, of feeling supported, protected, and loved, with no effort, or striving.

Transcript

Welcome to meeting Jesus in the Vineyard.

During this guided visualization there will be a combination of spoken words as well as periods of meditative silence.

It is my prayer that you will find this visualization an effective practice for connecting with Christ in a personal way.

Remember,

God is for you.

He wants you to have joy,

Peace and abundance.

God is not mad at you.

God is not disappointed in you.

God does not think you are a failure.

He sees you as a child,

His child,

Who is worthy of love.

Begin by making your body as comfortable as possible.

Loosen any tight clothing,

Take off your watch and your glasses,

Turn off your cell phone and find a relaxed position.

Sit in a comfortable chair with your back supported,

Your feet flat on the floor,

Your hands resting in your lap.

Or you may lay on a bed with your body supported,

Arms by your side and palms turned up.

Now bring your attention to your breath.

Don't change your breathing in any way,

Just observe the quietness of your breathing.

Following your breath as you inhale and exhale,

Feel your body begin to relax and soften.

As you exhale,

Allow any tension to drain away and feel peacefulness fill you with every inhalation.

Continue releasing tension and inhaling peace.

Observe your breath as your inhalations and exhalations become longer,

Smoother and quieter.

Scan your body for any places where tension lingers.

Relax your feet,

Calves,

Thighs and buttocks.

Relax your abdomen,

Back and chest.

As you swallow,

Soften your throat and neck.

Release your jaw and allow your tongue to rest.

Relax your eyes and release any tension around your mouth,

Your forehead or your scalp.

Now let your thoughts clear and as you listen,

Allow your imagination to freely create images that bring the scene to life for you.

It is early afternoon on a warm and bright summer day.

You are walking in the country along a well-worn path.

The ground is dry and dusty.

Soon you come to a lovely wooden gate.

The gate is simply constructed and seems old.

The wood is smooth and stained from much use.

As you swing the gate open,

It makes a soft creaking sound and closes quietly behind you.

Although you haven't been here before,

This place seems comfortably familiar and you feel relaxed and secure.

The path continues and as you walk along to your right,

You see a large vineyard that slopes gently away toward a cool blue lake.

The lake reflects the vineyard,

The rolling hills,

The trees.

You stop to enjoy this beautiful scene and take a deep breath.

You can smell the water,

The warm earth and a soft fruity aroma rising from the vineyards.

After your brief stop to enjoy the scenery,

You continue walking and soon come to a place where the path divides.

One branch of the path goes down the hill towards the lake and the other branch curves slowly up the hill toward a large tree.

You notice that under the tree,

Someone is sitting on a bench facing away from you.

Although you would like to get a closer look at the lake,

The sight of the bench and the person intrigue you,

So you choose the path that leads away from the lake and towards the tree.

As you walk towards the tree,

You notice that you begin to feel warmer and more at ease.

Your body begins to feel lighter as all thoughts of worry and concern evaporate.

This feeling of well-being becomes deeper as you move closer to the bench and the tree.

You glance ahead and you see the person sitting on the bench is now standing and turning to look at you.

Although you can't see the person's face clearly,

You can see it is a man who is simply dressed.

He appears to be waiting for you.

As you walk towards him,

A feeling of peace envelops you and you know it is safe to approach.

Trying closer,

His features become clearer and you see a face full of love and compassion.

The light of recognition fills your mind and you realize this is Jesus Christ.

You take a deep breath and begin walking towards him.

As you walk,

You begin to feel age and responsibility slip away.

You walk more quickly and you notice how easy and light you are.

There are no more aches or pains.

Your body is supple and free.

Amazingly,

The closer you draw to Christ,

The younger you become.

Though you don't want to take your eyes from him,

You look down and discover that you have become a child again.

You see your feet are bare and dimpled.

Your hands are plump and smooth.

Now you are running,

Your little feet pounding up the hill,

Your arms pumping,

Your eyes locked on those that welcome you with such love.

Jesus kneels on one knee with his arms wide open.

As he sweeps you up into his arms and holds you tightly,

Your arms wrap around his neck and you bury your face in his warm shoulder.

He smells like water and wind and sunlight.

At that moment,

Your heart feels full and every cell of your body is vibrating with love.

Jesus sets you gently on the ground.

You look at each other eye to eye as he places his hands on your shoulders.

Jesus lovingly whispers your name and tells you,

I am so happy that you are here.

You watch his eyes,

His face,

And you are filled with speechless joy.

Jesus smiles,

Picks you up and sits on the bench holding you on his lap.

You snuggle into him,

Close your eyes and lay your head against his chest.

Christ's body warms you and his arms support you.

You let go,

You rest on him.

Your breath and the breath of Jesus become one,

Inhaling and exhaling together.

There is no need for words.

You experience complete ease,

Complete peace and you drift into sleep.

You don't know how much time has passed,

But when you open your eyes,

The sun's golden rays cast long shadows across the ground.

A soft breeze cools your cheeks.

You smile and stretch.

Jesus looks at you and says,

It's time to go back.

You slowly slip off his lap and stand before you.

Jesus holds your face in his hands.

He gently places a kiss on your forehead and then tells you,

I am with you always.

You squeeze your eyes shut to hold back the tears and when you open them,

You no longer see Jesus,

But his presence is everywhere.

You begin to walk down the path and everything is radiant.

The sun behind the vineyards and each blade of grass,

Everything is edged in a halo of shining light.

The sky is street with pink,

Purple and gold and the lake has turned dark blue as the sun paints fiery splashes across the rippling water.

The air is filled with the songs of birds and you breathe deeply,

Inhaling all that is sweet and fresh.

You sense everything in exquisite detail.

Your heart is full.

Now you have reached the gate that leads out of the vineyard.

You hesitate before opening it,

Taking a moment to savor the deep blessing you received.

You look back once more,

Then reach forward to open the gate and notice your hand and body are back in their adult form.

You smile,

Open the gate and walk towards home.

Now bring your attention back to the room,

Taking a moment to observe and enjoy this peaceful experience.

Remember,

You can return to the vineyard anytime you want and you can rest in Jesus.

He is always there.

Reviews

Fell asleep, so can’t remember much. But I liked the Jesus encounter part.

Great visual meditation!

Thank you for this lovely experience of being with Jesus. I needed Him this morning to wrap me in His unconditional Love ❤️

So beautiful - will be returning. Thank you for sharing 🙏🏽✨

Exquisite and heart warming, like a beautiful dream you don't want to wake up from. Thanks so much!💞🙏

Tears of Joy!!! I'm coming back to meet Jesus again and again at the vineyard. Thank you so much!!! Much 💘

Absolutely beautiful! ❤️🙏 thank u

That was beautiful - I loved this so much ❤️❤️❤️ thank u

A loving and peaceful experience. Thank you for this blessing 💕

That made me cry so many happy tears thank you for this meditation

so very beautiful , thank you .

So profoundly simply and beautiful with the imagery. Will return often. It is lovely just to commune and be in the Lord’s presence.

Wow that was very unique and beautiful. I don’t know that I have ever cried during meditation but that brought tears of joy. I will be coming back to this many times. It is so comforting to rest in Jesus. Thank you so very much. 🙏🏼❤️

thank you for this meditation. it deeply connected me to Jesus, filled me with a His peace, love, and joy. thank you

This helped me release some blocked emotions, thank you ❤️

I really love this visualisation. Beautiful, thank you

I fall asleep every time... it’s very comforting 🦋

So beautiful😭💖

Such a soothing, gentle and comforting voice. This was amazing, beautiful imagery and you can just tell it came straight from the heart. Thank you for drawing me closer to Jesus, I needed this.

Thank you for your time and effort to help me draw closer to God.