A Pruning Season

I love a good garden. I’m not wild about the bugs, snakes, or multitude of weeds that require constant attention. But the process of growth into fruits and vegetables is satisfying.

As this blog goes live, I will be in the early stages of nurturing fragile baby plants in my home. Tiny cherry tomato and green pepper plants that I’m planning to grow from seeds. After they begin growing, I’ll begin the hardening process before transplanting them into the ground in our garden. All with the hope that they will flourish this summer into a bountiful harvest.

None will happen without pruning. A constant molding and cutting back to allow the plant to flourish to its maximum potential. The harvest does not come without work.

Such is with life, isn’t it? To reach our maximum potential we also must go through growth stages or pruning seasons. I’m not sure about you, but I don’t want to stay the same forever. There are lessons I will learn through life that will mold and shape me for future seasons.

I’m confident in the fact that though I will change and grow, God does not. He stays the same forever. His love for me is unchanging and does not depend on what I do right or wrong. It is not conditioned on my actions. God grows me through pruning seasons to become more like Him.

May we not be afraid to live with boldness. Unafraid to walk through seasons of pruning, even if they are hard or less than ideal. Pruning seasons change us. If we didn’t prune the plants in our garden, we wouldn’t have a harvest. Pruning seasons make us stronger and more thankful humans.

Psalm 102:25-27, NLT

Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth and made the heavens with your hands.

They will perish, but you remain forever; they will wear out like old clothing.

You will change them like a garment and discard them.

But you are always the same; you will live forever.