This morning I was looking at the beautiful bunch of flowers my husband gave me a couple weeks ago for my birthday. Several parts of the arrangement were looking pretty shabby and were dying. Yet, there were plenty of other flowers that were still going strong.
I decided to prune my bouquet. I pulled out a smaller vase and started to select each flower stem individually. I determined if it was worth keeping or if I should just throw it away. The ones I kept, I noticed needed to be retrimmed at the bottom of the stem because they were starting to rot. I quickly cut off the rot and place the repaired stem into fresh water. I was able to build a totally new arrangement that looks beautiful and will continue to bloom for a while.
As I was cleaning up the mess I made from leaves and pollen that fell on the floor and counter as I did the trimming, it occurred to me that we are like those flowers that need pruning at times.
God looks at the whole picture of who we are. He sees the beauty in our creation. He sees the places where the stem has started to rot. The flower is still good, but it needs a trim in order to preserve the rest of the bloom. I was thinking that when God trims or prunes us, it is similar to the mess I made when I refreshed my flowers. When God decides to prune us, the rotting parts are removed and the circumstances may appear pretty messy until he readjusts us.
Sometimes the cutting of the rotten stem can be friends who are no longer healthy in our lives and will ultimately cause destruction to our walk with him. Sometimes its mindsets that need to be changed. Often the only way we change our thinking, is to change our circumstances so we are forced to reevaluate what is important to our lives. Change is often uncomfortable, painful. We resist change, so sometimes it takes a major trim to force us to go in a different direction.
Ultimately the goal is the best you. God wants you to thrive in all your circumstances and not to have to overcome the rotting parts that affect your bloom. When I was done cleaning out my bouquet, I had a fresh beautiful bouquet. Yes, there are similarities to the original, but this one is complete on its own. The same is with us.
When God does his precise trimming, he removes the debris that would hinder our walk. He reestablishes us in fresh water so we can continue to draw on the refreshing water he provides. It actually enables us to continue to be strong and gives us new life, energy and endurance. He wants you to finish your journey strong! So rejoice in the pruning, it only makes you better, more vibrant, healthy and allows you to continue your journey into the discovery of God’s plans for your life.