Thursday February 4, 2010 Day 4

The part of todays lesson that stood out to me the most today was perennial pruning, hmm.
I can relate to this as I am an avid gardener, I love my flowers and have had vegetable gardens also , I was raised with five acres set aside JUST for farming and we grew everything that we ate and all kids were expected to help in whatever way was appropriate to their age group.
I remember my first job was to follow behind my brother and fill in the holes as he planted the potatoes. It wasn't a huge job but as a little person it was to me and was just as important as the big jobs as if the potatoes arent covered with dirt in order to root they won't grow.
I have lots of flowers and am partial to butterfly gardens . I can usually tell you what plant it is and why it does what and what kind of weather it does best and how big it will get.
But just like farming and gardening , we have to be cut and pruned to be our best selves .
To get the best product that God can make us .But rarely do we like the pruning process that has to happen so that we can bear more quality fruit. I know I dont always enjoy the pruning part. In fact sometimes I go in kicking and screaming! It hurts at times to be pruned !
Kerry says in this chapter that if you are feeling like you aren't blessed at this stage then you are probably in the pruning process. This is good news as it is always painful but productive. He wants to get just the "right " cuts to be able to be able to produce the most and best fruit possible. This is who he has called us to be .
It talks about him being the power source and us be the branch and stay connected to the vine.
Its less stressful and all around more productive.
Its when we think that we are the ones in control that we actually lose our power .
Just like a garden has to be pruned and watered so do we. We are not supposed to rely on willpower but on Gods power ,. Willpower only lasts about two weeks and His power is forever!
He has definitely pruned me many a time, I think it is a ongoing process, and a neccesary for us to continue to grow over our whole lifetime. He has been pruning and cutting our family and we are excited about the fruits that we are still yet to bear!
What are some ways you have seen God prune your life?
How have you handled it? What has been the result? What are you still waiting to see results on?