Sometimes you need to prune
A common theme kept coming up these last few days. Sometimes you need to remove the clutter in order to make room for things to grow. At our family dinner, we have a tradition of sharing two roses (two good things) and a thorn (one not so good thing). This weekend, my mom shared that her thorn is decluttering. She has been working hard to get rid of excess from years of living overseas and collecting as she moved from location to location. Although it is a chore and somewhat difficult, she knows once it is complete, she will have room to breathe and to appreciate the things she has chosen to keep. It will also give her room to find new things to enjoy.
I was chatting with a friend today and she was sharing that she is doing something similar in her home. In addition to the physical clutter, we shared that sometimes you have to spiritually cleanse as well and sometimes that leads to letting go of relationships that may be toxic or unhealthy. This is never easy, but sometimes essential to make room for fruitful relationships to grow.
I kept thinking of when one of my older sister taught me why it is so important to prune our plants. She shared that although the flowers on the plants may seem pretty, you have to remove the suckers so the plant uses its energy to grow fruit instead of on the flowers that do not bear fruit. You then have to prune and care for the parts of the plant that produce fruit. When you prune the plant and remove the suckers, the plant will not only bear more fruit or larger fruit, it will also be healthier.
This is similar to the stories I shared about decluttering and removing the things that pull your energy away from being healthy and bearing fruit. How often do we get consumed with things that take away all our energy with nothing in return? How often have you found yourself giving all that you have to the point that you lose your ability to grow? Sometimes, although it may be painful in the moments, pruning in our lives is what we all need in order to be healthier and make room for fruitful relationship and things that bring us joy.
“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 15:1, NIV). God is the great gardener!
Today, I pray that you prayerfully identify the things that need to be pruned in your life. I pray that in doing so, you make room for fruitful growth and spreading of God’s word.
