"He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."
This scripture has been replaying in my mind a lot these days. When we go through the deepest darkest valleys we find that we begin to question why God has allowed the hardships or why did he allow the pain or disappointment. If you don't do this, that's great, but I know that sometimes I take the road of self-pity instead of the road of lesson learned. I've begun to realize that during my times of hardship is when I turn to the Father more and rely on me less. It's during these times that I begin to see the better part of me start shining through because I'm sharing Him more and showing Him to others through my witness. I've begun to understand that instead of praying God remove the trouble or the pain that I have begun to pray for God to reveal to me the lesson that I need to learn to grow, to bear fruit. I think of my time in my gardens, when I tend to them with the standard watering and weeding I produce pretty flowers. But if I spend a bit more time, pruning and cutting back the deadheads I get a fuller richer bouquet. The flowers are bigger, they are brighter and the aroma is more fragrant. Isn't this how we are when we are pruned? When we come out on the otherside of the Master Gardener's hands...aren't we the better for it?
I'd rather not have to go through the pruning of course, who wouldn't prefer to avoid the sting of it. But once I've had time to firmly root myself in the soil of life after God, the Master Gardener, has taken off the ugly "deadheads" of my personality, my actions, my attitudes or maybe my pride I find that others want to come plant themselves beside me and soak up some of the SONshine that I've been restored from.
Are there dead branches in your life right now? Areas of your life that you know you need to let die by the wayside to be the best God called you to be? Are you bearing the most desirable of fruits that you can produce or have your roots grown shallow and weak, the pulp of your stalk unable to sustain the life that you've been granted because you've turned away from the Son?
Accept the pruning and rejoice in the blossoming of new life, for every season there can be beauty.
Blessings,
Heather
