I gazed out my kitchen window as my husband, Mark, climbed up his ladder to
begin cutting away the bare branches of our Chinese Persimmon tree in our
backyard. Watching Mark wield his saw this way and that way, as each leafless,
fruitless branch fell to the ground, I caught his eye and smiled. In due time, I
knew we would reap the efforts of his labor.
I let out a sigh and my eyes fell to the unwashed dishes I had been tending to.
Staring into the sink, the tears began to fall from my eyes. I too, was being
pruned, I thought. Oddly enough, around the month of February, trials or changes
occurred that resulted in the cutting away of relationships, bad attitudes,
transgressions, or all of the above. Recalling many of those "painful pruning
seasons" that day, I shook my head in utter understanding.
Looking up once again, I remembered the first time we laid eyes on that odd
looking tree just three years before. Its disappointing harvest, with only six
persimmons, seemed to take forever to ripen in the fall. What use was that tree,
except for a bit o' shade, we thought.
When February came that year, Mark chopped away at the barren limbs, without
much knowledge of why he should, except for hearing that pruning was important.
The bare branches, reaching for the sky, seemed to cry out for attention anyway;
therefore, he snipped and shaped away.
Through the next two seasons, our leafy tree did provide protection from the
sun's torridity. Moreover, we noticed that not only were the leaves fuller; the
harvest of fruit nearly tripled. My sister in law (who worked in a grocery
store) recognized the fruit, informing us of its high-priced value. "Hmm," we
thought, "how strange that something that seemed undesirable, could actually be
of worth to others." Consequently, we bagged up the 15 pieces of edible solid
mass, giving away most to our friends and family.
The following pruning season Mark went about his dutiful task of cutting away
the empty outgrowth once again. By fall, our Persimmon tree produced such an
abundance of apple-like sweet fruit, it took us hours to pick and bag it all.
Amazing, we thought, from six pieces to over a hundred! Who would have known
that to cut away -- is to bring forth?
While I stood there at my kitchen window, watching the barren limbs fall into
their dumpster destiny for the third year, I clearly saw the handiwork of our
Creator through the hand of my gardening husband. A verse from the Bible popped
into my mind:
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).
How many times had I struggled in uncomfortable circumstances, making the
inevitable process more painful? How many times had I wept over my losses,
unable to embrace their meaningful purpose? How often had I cried out to God to
stop the pain, rejection and death that surrounded me, only to find myself a
better and wiser person, for the experience?
Consequently, the pruning of my heart resulted in lasting lessons. Each time a
piece of my fruitless life was cut off, I learned to blossom. Through the
testing of relationships, I learned patience. Because of health afflictions, I
learned to intercede for others more deeply. When a loved one passed away, I
learned true empathy and compassion. Whenever my feelings were hurt or my
expectations shattered, I learned to let go and forgive. A familiar verse; "as
iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another" (Prov. 27:17), finally made
sense to me. Furthermore, if my life was going to produce spiritual fruit, I had
to be pliable when God reckoned it was time to cut away the old and make room
for the new.
In raising my own children, the human spirit appeared truly fragile to me. I
remember taking great care not to break their spirits as I tended to their
stubborn wills. Having survived that parental pruning, those young adults have
often come to Mark and I, thanking us for many of those tough decisions we made
when they were growing up. The fruits of our labor were evident in their lives;
it was like getting a glimpse of the heart of God for us - His own children.
I looked again at our faithful Persimmon tree, standing dormant and still that
day. The sun would shine through its empty limbs for a while, bringing
nourishment and warmth. It would not look pretty for sometime, nor would it give
shade. However, the day would come when its lush leaves would flourish once
again, casting an umbrella of comfort against the heat of the day. Its abundance
of sweet fruit would soon bless many that pass by, freely satisfying their taste
buds. Those who knew its value would be grateful.
I wiped my tears away, and relinquished a nod of acceptance to my Creator. This
trial will pass, I surmised, and I too, will feel the warmth and nurture of the
Son in my life. Though some may view me as dormant for now, the time will come
when I will be able to comfort and shelter others with the same comfort I have
received. Consequently, as the next pruning season for me approaches, I
determine to struggle far less, and trust more; I resolve to cry fewer tears,
and endure with increased faith. I decide to "be still and know that He is God."
Yes, the pruning is necessary, but it is only for a season. I can hardly wait to
taste the fruit of His labor.
© 2004 Ginger Boda Rhymerbabe@aol.com
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
messages. HTML and plain text versions available.
The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.