On Pruning

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. John 15:1-8 (ESV)

Today, I resolved to begin working on the mess that is my yard, as I shared the other day.  So, with pruning shears in hand, I set out into the wild desert that is my circle drive.

Not much grows on my land that isn't a cactus of some kind, but one of the items that does is known as Brittle Bush.  It's, as you might expect, a very brittle and low growing bush.  It's got a very unique silvered green leaf and a grey stem.  In the Spring when we've had good rainfall the desert erupts all over with an abundance of yellow blooms from this unassuming little plant.

But, like with most flowers, when it shrivels it is considerably less beautiful.  Usually, the stems, which shoot out about 8 inches from the plant, turn into something a bit like straw and they just stay there until something brushes passed with enough force to break them off.

In the case of those in my front yard, they are quite well intact.  Last year being a good bloom, they are quite full of straw. An unpruned plant looks like this.

I looked out over the mass of unpruned plants and thought 'This could take a while!'.  And I started in on the first one I came to.  I'm asking myself as I proceed if this is worth the effort?  I'm still not sure in this case whether it is or it isn't, but in the process, I learned a few things which I thought I'd share with you.

• Pruning is back-breaking work.  It requires bending over and carefully examining the plant in question
• The gardener must be very patient, following each stem or branch to be pruned to it's original source if she wants an attractive result
• The gardener must be slow and methodical as she goes over the entire plant, not skipping any part.
• The gardener is often taking a risk of injury herself as a plant often will snag the gardeners hands  as she does the work.  This is especially true of the thorny plants like rose bushes.
• The gardener has to be aware not just of what she is pruning, but also what is around her so as not to injure herself or the plants that are around her.  
• Sometimes the decision of what to cut off is a bit difficult as something can seem healthy but the gardener may realize that it will actually hinder the plants growth if she continues.

All this made me think of the way Jesus is with us as he prunes away the dead wood, that which isn't producing any sort of fruit or which makes us ugly. He must be patient and slow and methodical as he works. I may bleed a bit when He prunes me, just as a plant produces sap to cover over the pruned area. But I will heal and I will grow stronger in the end. And ultimately, it is Jesus, the Master Gardener who is doing the work of pruning, NOT ME, the plant.  

The end result is a clearer version of the original.  It's no longer defined by all that is hiding it, now it is defined by it's true self, the parts which are alive and healthy and are now ready to produce afresh.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Somehow, I've begun receiving Martha Stewart Living in the mail. I'm sure I didn't order it myself. I've never been a big Martha Stewart fan, though her magazines do hold many attractive ideas. However, since it was in my mailbox, it seemed a shame to throw it away unopened. So this evening, I read through the March issue.

It was filled with information on gardening. I thumbed through page after page of inspiring gardening tips, beautiful photographs of gardens lovingly tended and read articles on how these amazing little Eden's had been accomplished.

I have to admit that I was inspired to return to the gardening I once did. But even as I felt the inspiration, I felt fear. That fear related to what had happened the last time I put my efforts into gardening. That fear related to failure.

As I lay there in my bed, after turning out the lights, I reflected on how much work it takes to grow a garden, and how many obstacles stand in the way of gardening success.


First, since I live on a patch very rocky soil, there is the need to remove many of the rocks and replace the rocks with good, fertile soil. (a very grueling job!)

Second, since my house is situated on a couple of acres, not including the areas outside the fence, there is a very large area to cover with living plants.

Third, there are many different types of hungry pests which consume the plants I cultivate almost as soon as they sprout.

Fourth, I live in a desert, so the ground is always thirsty.

Finally, I am not always bursting with the energy to accomplish all of these tasks.

I admit, I was discouraged. As I reflected on my past failures, I thought of what a waste of time and money it would be to try again to cultivate my own piece of Eden.


Then, a thought came to me. What if I only tried to cultivate one area at a time? What if I lovingly and carefully spent a bit of time each day removing the rocks from one area. What if I added soil supplements into one area? What if I fenced in one area to protect it from the wildlife? What if I chose plants that were not so thirsty and could thrive in a dry land? What if I only worked for as long as I could each day and didn't feel the need to accomplish the whole project all at once?


I think I could do it. And then I realized how this is a wonderful analogy for the daily sanctification of the Christian. Many times, we feel like failures as Christian women. We compare ourselves with someone whose walked closely with the lord for 40 years and wonder why we aren't just like her.

But God is faithful to meet us right where we are when we are pursuing Him.

He does not expect you and I to be spiritual giants. He just expects us to cultivate a love for Him a little each day. Psalm 1 tells us that we are blessed if we meditate on the law of the Lord day and night. That means that each day, we are spending some time focusing on who He is and what He has to say to us. We are daily cultivating relationship with Him, removing the obstacles to our faith, adding in the supplements to our growth through His Word, spending what energy we have and not becoming obsessed, fighting the fiery darts of the enemy as they come at us through the armor God has provided.


Psalm 1 goes on to tell us that we will be like a tree planted by rivers of water that bears fruit in it's season. Sounds a bit like the start of a garden to me. What do you think?

I pray that you are cultivating a heart that loves Jesus, one day at a time, facing each trial as it comes and not focusing on what might happen or the end result, but on that days walk with Jesus.

I'm adding a few photos so that you can see what my garden looked like when I was tending it lovingly. I am glad I found these. They remind me of what can be. That I can have my own piece of Eden, even in the desert.