1. YOU WON’T HEMORRHAGE, IT’S JUST NORMAL PRUNING.
“ I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 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 15:1-2
I have a fiddle leaf fig tree in my living room that I happily bought from Kroger last year. I’ve been learning the ebb and flow of when to water her, and recently when to cut her back. When I was in middle school, I wanted the cool bangs- the bangs like everyone else had, so I took a pair of regular scissors and cut my all one length hair to create bangs. Big mistake! Since then, I have been super cautious about cutting anything, especially when my cutting could make or break another living thing. My fiddle fig needed to be pruned. Since I cut some of her droopy or damaged leaves, she is doing so much better. How crazy is it that a painful process can produce so much growth?! Thankfully, we serve a savior who knows exactly where to prune us back and how. Jesus is the master seamstress and He takes great care to mold us, and shape us into the Oaks of Righteousness He has called us to be.
When we handle rejection, pain, and shame our way, we often resemble the middle school girl who had to wait almost a year or longer for her bangs to grow out. I invested a lot of money in hair clips and headbands that year. Jesus does not expose our weakness to shame us or humiliate us, but to heal. Jesus always reveals to heal and to strengthen. An injured or sick fiddle leaf can drain the resources from your plant; removing the damaged leaves can potentially save it.
Take heart, my friend, the pruning is for a good reason. Even if you have arrived, He still prunes so you can produce even more fruit. We are never finished growing, and He never stops loving and that is such a beautiful combination.
What areas have you noticed God has pruned in your life recently?
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