Pruning

I relandscaped my front and backyard last year.  You know what?  My plants are still alive!!!  I am so excited about this.  I have never had a green thumb.  EVERYTHING died under my care.  Times are a'changin' though!  I have scoured the internet and invested in several books for information on how to keep my little plant friends alive and thriving and so far, so good.  I find so much joy in my garden now.  You don't know how foreign that sounds to me...MY garden! 

Of all the information I have gathered and applied about my garden, there is one thing that seems to present itself as a life lesson over and over again.  Pruning.  The Bible speaks about pruning.

Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away. And every one that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bring forth more fruit.   -John 15:2

In order for me to prune my plants, I need to get close to them.  I need to see the details of each branch to examine whether or not it is producing "fruit".  When I see a branch that does not have any leaves, buds, or signs of life, I cut it off where it branches off from the main stem.  It is a hard cut and it is way down close to the center of the plant.  I've learned that I need to do this so the energy of the plant is not wasted on that branch.  By doing this, I can harness the plants energy into the branches that are producing.  So, when I see a part of the plant that is bearing fruit, I also prune that.  But this is a different approach.  It is more purposeful and I am more careful with how I am pruning.  This time, I prune with the hope that by me doing this, that branch will be even more fruitful and, in the end, more beautiful.  At first, it was hard to prune my plants, because they were not very attractive when I was finished.  But I soon learned that when I did this faithfully, the plant was always healthier and more beautiful than I thought was possible!  I also find myself "training" my vined plants.  I direct them in the direction that I desire them to grow.  Of course, the vine would still grow without my training, but I can ensure that it stays healthy and beautiful by gently directing it into it's most beautiful shape.

So, as I was saying, pruning teaches me life lessons.  I know that if I want to be fruitful for the kingdom of God, I have to allow Him to get close to me.  I need to welcome the Father into every detail of my life for his examination.  When a part of my life is not fruitful, there is a hard cut.  That can hurt and be a difficult thing to endure. God is "cutting off" His energy to that part of my life.  When you do this to a plant, there is a scar.  Very much like when we have something removed from our lives.  A scar developes.  However, when He sees a part of my life that is bearing fruit, he is more gentle with His cuts.  More precise.  More purposeful.  He knows what potential there is in that "branch".   Now there is more of His energy available to the parts of my life that can be used to accomplish His Will in my life.  This can also be uncomfortable and  unpleasant, but take heart!  We have the Master Gardener at work in the garden of our lives.  We are certainly in good and loving hands.

Next time we are out in our gardens (or enjoying someone else's!), lets take a moment to consider how our spiritual garden looks.  Is it healthy and robust?  Is it full of the Fruits of the Spirit?  Galatians 5:22-23 tells us, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Are the areas in our lives producing these fruits?  Or is your garden overrun with weeds that are choking the life out of how beautiful your life can be?  Are your branches thin and diseased with some evidence of fruit here and there?  Maybe there is only a small part of your garden that isn't as beautiful as the rest.  I encourage you to look at the areas in your life that don't line up with what Galatians describes.  Think of the words that would be opposite of the words describing the fruits of the Spirit.

Maybe they would be these:  hate, sadness, turbulence, impatience, mean-spirited, evil, unfaithful, harsh, and fleshly.    The Bible goes on to say in Galatians 5:26, Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.  I think this could be the result of an "unkept" garden.

The situations I review in my life don't necessarily have evidence of all  the opposite words I listed above.  If you are close to God, your spirit will be in sync with His.  You will know in your heart.  So, I figure that if I stay as close as I can to Him, He will have freedom to create in me the garden HE envisions.  He IS the Master Gardner.

This train of thought goes on and on for me.  Pruning can also be in preparation for transplanting...see what I mean?  So, if you ever see me out in my new (and healthy!) garden deep in thought, you will have an idea of what I am contemplating.

Father, thank you for seeing me worthy to include in your garden.  Thank you for your gentle hand and your wisdom in knowing what is good for me and what needs to be removed from my life.  Grant me the discipline and strength to always stay close to you and not be distracted.  The desire of my heart is for you to take pleasure in what my life produces, just as I am learning to do this with my own garden.  Thank you for your Word and for your Holy Spirit.  I love you.