Fruit

I got up this morning, and decided I needed to take a walk. As I passed by my rose bushes I remembered that I had plan to prune them. There is a lady in DeQuincy who has beautiful roses. I noticed this past week that she had cut hers back, so I knew it was time for me to do the same. I always hate cutting any plant back...all that growth! I know that it is necessary for the new growth to happen. It has been such a wet winter, all the plants should really grow this spring. Anyway, I grabbed the pruners and whacked away. No cane on the bushes is over 2 feet tall now! I continued on my way for my walk. As I walked I begin thinking about what I had just done, and scriptures came into my mind. I love any of the New Testament where Christ is speaking, but what came to mind was(as I found out later) in the 15th chapter of John. Christ speaks of the vineyard and the fruit. John 15:2 says Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. In the verse before the one above He had said that He was the vine and his Father was the husbandman. A husbandman is the keeper of the vine. As I walked I was pondering a burden that I am caring. I have felt of late as though I have really been cut back. I have felt really wounded. As I walked I began to see that perhaps I have not been wounded in the cutting back, but perhaps Heavenly Father wants to purge me in order for me to bear more fruit. I felt this really strongly and decided that if I was being purged to bear more fruit, then I was more than willing. Isn't a willing heart, an able heart? I am willing to be cut back if it is going to bring me growth...fruit. I take the fruit to be those of the Spirit.

After, I returned from the walk I went to church, something that I have been remiss in doing for quite a while now......too long a story to post on here. Heavenly Father knows where I am at. Anyway, something was confirmed to me at church this morning. The speaker quoted the exact same scriptures I mention above. Of course the rest of that chapter is about abiding in Christ and His perfect love, but I was struck that he spoke of the vine, the exact thing I had thought of as I walked. I can not ignore that. One of my many prayers is to be willing to be purged. I know that growth will come and perhaps with that growth the burden I carry and those of the future will not seem so heavy.

The picture above is not from my garden. I Googled one, for it was too dark to get one of mine. It does show how far back roses must be cut back.