Pruning Time

It's been an incredible weather weekend in New Hampshire this weekend.  The most glorious part has been taking long walks with my husband.  By mid morning our sneakers are on and we are off on a good four-mile walk.  Listening to the birds, commenting on the trees budding, and watching the river flow are all great signs that spring is in the air.  As I look at the trees, my heart goes to memories of my dad, carefully pruning tree and shrub branches in early spring.  

Daddy was meticulous in selecting which branch would need to be pruned, exactly how far back to prune, and carefully explained why he was doing this.  It truly was a work of love.  Daddy's favorite trees were his beloved apple trees.  This pruning process was always an attempt at ridding the tree of unproductive branches, either ones that no longer bore fruit and those branches that were going array, so that more nutrients could go to the branches where they would bear more fruit.

As I got older and studied the Bible more often, the verse for today always brings me back to that memory of Daddy.  This verse brings me to my Heavenly Father, who takes the time and effort to do the same process to me, his beloved, as my Dad would do on his beloved trees.  I think back over the times when God pruned back the things that I shouldn't be doing - making me unproductive.  There were also times when I was going array, and by his pruning, that journey stopped for me.  It amazes me how our Lord knows exactly what we need to be more fruitful.

By this process of pruning, God brings us closer to the tree trunk, himself, where the nutrients flow.  We may gain our nutrients through prayer, Bible study, worship, or communion.  Maybe we gain our nutrients from sitting quietly, listening to the birds, commenting on the trees budding, or watching the river flow.  The important part is to remember that when God prunes us, restricts us from the "messes" of our lives and cleans us up to be fruitful, the fruitful journey is endless.  The next time you believe that the door has closed on an aspect of your life or the path that you wanted to take is suddenly closed, remember that God may be pruning you for a greater, more fruitful, journey.  Those paths are by far more wonderful than not being pruned~~

Heavenly Father, please remind me that when a direction I am headed in seems to be halted, that it could be you telling me that it is "pruning time".  Don't let me resist those times, but let me gain my nutrients for life from you, Lord.  Let me gain hope and wisdom from you so that my journey of fruitfulness that you are sending me on will yield great fruit.  In your loving name I pray, Amen!