Bravely Pruning

*This blog post is a continuation of “Dormant Doesn’t Mean Dead.” Check out this link for more information.

The longer that I continue to water Grandma’s flowers, the more blooms start to fill out the wave petunia plant. There came a moment when I noticed that the pot was equally split between dried out stems and blooming buds. I started to wonder if this was the time to prune back the dead places with the hope of making space for new growth?

Thankfully, when I began to water flowers this time, my grandma was discharged from the hospital, and I was able to ask for her expertise on what I should do next. Being the flower care novice, I thought maybe I could just pull out the dead pieces. Wisely, my grandma directed me to use her scissors to carefully cut back the dead places. 

With an eager and nervous excitement, I started pruning stem by stem. Part of me feared that if I didn’t do it perfectly, this weak plant may not fully survive. I didn’t want to be the one who ruined it.

I wonder how many other areas in my life that I experience fear of pruning, because I worry what the impact might be? Sometimes I continue a routine out of habit even if it’s not the most life giving anymore. 

After I timidly removed all of the dead places, I snapped pictures of both what was pruned away and what was left. Looking at the pictures brought us so much joy. I cautiously and optimistically hoped that pruning away these dead places might make room for more blooms to spread throughout the plant. 

Two days later, my mom snapped a picture of the wave petunia and sent it to me. I could hardly believe how much growth happened in just 36 hours. Without the crowding of the dead stems, the wave petunia occupied even more space in the pot. 

Friend, this makes me wonder what might be the places in our lives that we need to prune back? Perhaps there are routines or rhythms might have been healthy for us in previous seasons, but in this current season of life are not bringing growth?

Maybe we need to prune back:

• Email inboxes with way too many subscription emails
  • Yikes-this is me! I am unsubscribing from as many email lists as possible, so that I can focus on the ones that benefit our family most.
• Mindlessly scrolling on our devices
  • Me too… I start out searching for something online, and then I get distracted with many other links. I have set 30 minute timers on social media and email, but more often than I would like to admit, I push the button to “allow more time.”
• Activities that feel like a burden instead of a blessing
  • Last year, with moving to a new town and school, was our year to try new things. This school year, we are planting deep roots in fewer things that bring us joy, so we can do those things well.

Sometimes we have to bravely prune back these areas, so that we will have the room to occupy the space God has for us in this new season of life. 

I recently listened to Heather MacFayden’s book Right Where You Belong on Audible. The biggest take-away that I gained was that although my current season might not be exactly what I planned, God has officially and purposefully set me in this place for His purpose. Instead of wishing or hoping to be magically transported into a different set of circumstances, I am learning to occupy the current space I am in. 

To live this out practically, I ask the Lord daily to give me spiritual eyes to see life through how He has intentionally crafted the season He is calling me to right now.

• What are the things that I can prune back to make more space for what’s to come?
• What can I nurture inside myself, so that I will be ready for the next season?
• How can I be faithful in the moment by moment experiences, so that  I will be equipped for further journeys?

Like this wave petunia, I am praying that the Lord will empower us to prune back what’s holding us back and allow us to fully occupy the space He has us in right now. I can’t wait to look back next year and see how we bloomed in an incredible way by making space for Him to grow us from our roots to our blooms. 

Another week later…pruning created space for beauty!