Pruning

Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. John 15:2

The first home we owned in Lafayette had a small patio in the back. The previous owner had planted rose beds on two sides of the patio. We really enjoyed the beautiful roses for a while, but soon the plants became leggy and less attractive. It got so bad they were taking over the patio. I wasn’t much of a gardener, but I read somewhere about pruning so I pruned the bushes. I cut them way back until there was nothing but stumps. They looked like the bushes you buy at the nursery. 

We spent some nervous time waiting and watching what would happen. Eventually new shoots sprang out and by the middle of the next summer we had beautiful roses again. Annual pruning became a part of my newly learned garden routine. I eventually learned to be an even better pruner and about other things like proper feeding and keeping away bugs.

God is the perfect gardener. He knows all about pruning. It’s not as hard for us to understand why he takes away branches that aren’t bearing fruit. What is tough is to see what happens to the branches that seem to be so fruitful and doing so well. 

I’m seeing the Great Gardener at work and it’s pretty painful. One thing I didn’t learn about pruning when we had that small patio rose garden. I eventually learned that a skilled gardener can take some of the cuttings from the plants and establish entire new plants. 

In the pruning process I am watching, I am sure I will see healthy new growth of the plant that is being pruned. I probably will not get to set what happens to the cuttings. I will miss them greatly but I trust the gardener to make good use of them and to plant and nourish them in new places where they can regrow and bear beautiful fruit for the kingdom.

He created the plants for a purpose and knows best how to care for them.

Be blessed.

Nick