Wednesday, May 13, 2009

I Want to Flower

"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." John 15:2

The hits..they keep on coming. I need to change my tune.

Okay. I am not not the gardener/landscaper/green thumb in my family but I do relish in the beauty, fragrance, fruit, of all varietals and am blessed to live without the pollen plague... 
Eleven years ago, I planted a species ( name unknown) in my front yard in Atlanta which I lovingly called Snuffleupagus because over the years it grew large, shaggy, and unruly.... I cried the first and every time since my husband took his pruning sheers to its fur....Same goes for my hydrangeas, crepe myrtles, and well anything that has shown me growth and life..through sun and soil.
Pruning. Cutting off. It's a painful concept to the novice.
But is vital in making a healthier, stronger, more balanced, more vigorous vine.
Any expert grower knows that a vine can not produce enough energy to ripen an unregulated crop. The fruit will be of poor quality, and well useless...

As hard as it is for me to grasp the why..I know every trial, obstacle, burden, drama, setback, disappointment, loss, and change I endure is the process of my father pruning me.  
His loving Word is the tool.
He's destroying the superfluous so I can flourish. 
While the loss of jobs, friends, family, money, materials are all in my earthly mind harming me...I truly know that it is God helping me fulfill his promise in me.
As a Believer in Jesus,  I trust he is taking away things that have served their purpose or that are standing in my way of gaining a reward....He's abolishing the encumbrance so I can expand.


From chronic acne to car accidents...From lost fortunes to lapsed relationships. From him in Atlanta to me New York. It's a hard pill to swallow, but it's necessary.

Let it grow, let it grow
Let it blossom, let it flow
 In the sun, the rain, the snow 
Love is lovely, let it grow. Eric Clapton

Do you believe whatever doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger?


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