I know it's an odd thought but I was looking at all the spring flowers the other day as I walked through my yard and I found myself evaluating them by how they had been pruned.
At first I was a little annoyed with myself for not being able to just enjoy the beauty of the yard but then it hit me. We are like those plants. We grow stronger, healthier and bear more fruit when we have been pruned.
The difference between humans and plants is we have a choice. We have to allow ourselves to be pruned. The plant if it has someone who cares for it doesn't have any say in the matter.
Pruning occurs in different ways in our lives doesn't it? It might be a failure of some kind. It might be a heartbreak caused by another person or it might be a poor decision or choice on our part.
Here's the thing. Non of these things will have a pruning effect in our lives if we don't see them for what they are and allow our hearts and spirits to soften and benefit from the experience. The disciplines we may have seen as restrictions when we were young are the very things that allow us to flourish and bloom.
I have a personal favor to ask of you. As you read this I'm Setting up my display at the Junior Olympic national Gymnastics championships. Please pray that this will be a fruitful experience for me and not a pruning. :-)
