Spring and fall often bring out the pruning shears. We look at the hedges and the vines and we know it’s time to take a little off the top, and probably the sides and a few other places too. It’s not easy work, and not particularly fun work. Usually when you’re done everything looks cleaned up, but a bit unhappy, a little skinnier as well. You know by experience though that in a few days, those shrubs and vines will actually come back to life and look better than they’ve looked in a long time. You’ll be proud to show them off and they’ll bloom beautifully.
This analogy holds for you too. Jesus is the true vine and God is the Gardener. They look for the aspects of you that stunt your growth, no longer serve you well, or simply don’t nourish your spirit. They look for the places where it’s time for you to blossom more fully and then they set to work, trimming off those old dead theories and ideas, and shining a light on some new ways of thinking. They work skillfully and thoughtfully, personally giving you the best opportunities to grow and become all that you are meant to become.
It doesn’t always feel good, especially if God skims some of your favorite things off the top. He might pull you out of a tried and true activity and encourage you to do something new. He might ask you to step up and step out and take a little risk so that you can fulfill your life purpose and make a difference in the world. Don’t worry then if He asks you to leave some old habits behind, create some new relationships, or move into a new arena in your work life, because God knows you’ll grow stronger, more confident, and more intentional about the things you do for Him as you adjust to His pruning. God also knows you’ll be amazing and other people will wonder what it is that makes your light shine so brightly.
Chances are, you’ll look back and know you experienced a little Divine pruning, and you’ve been flourishing ever since. Thank God for taking such good care of you.