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 bears fruit, He prunes it that it may bear more fruit. (John 15:1-2, NASB)

I have always considered these words in light of big tribulation and trouble in life. After all, Jesus is on his way to the Garden of Gethsemane at this point when He speaks these words. Life is at a point where He needs to say what is really important. Not that those before weren't important; all the red letters are, of course, life words. But those He spoke in the last few hours seem to be heavy with importance. So when I have faced or seen those who are facing life's big, difficult moments (the death of a loved one, the loss of a business or dream, a miscarriage, the discovery of barrenness, a loved one's addiction, or their own, these kinds of big things) and I know that this person knows Jesus, I think of that in the light of God's sovereignty that He is allowing this situation for their or my ultimate good and that He will bring blessing and produce good things in life because of this moment. And that is true. It does apply to those big things, I believe.

However, I am learning that His words are much more applicable than for just those big moments. Pruning is something that takes place in the correct season each year. The gardener or farmer takes hold of the tree or vine and clips it here and there. This is not to make the plant beautiful. (Although in the end - it does make it more beautiful as the fruit is produced.) It is for a specific purpose, to bring a bigger yield in produce. So the plant is pruned in the right season to help it produce what it is intended to produce. It would yield fruit without the pruning, at least for a while, but it would not produce as well, as fully without the cutting away.

In the last year I have started 2 major projects. I began my fourth year in seminary and I began writing a book. I believe both are things the Lord has called me to do. I can see how throughout my life He moved me along the path toward this day. I cannot express how excited I was to begin my fourth year or to find the story I would tell. And so I stepped forward with high expectations and goals of when and how and where.

What I did not expect was the pruning. This is not a major trouble time. It is a time of gaining wisdom and applying what I have already learned along the way. It was supposed to be fun and full of fruit and blessing. It is full of blessing, just not exactly the ones I thought would come. It is full of fruit or will be, but there is pruning required.

Learning the craft of creating a work of fiction has been daunting. I have a good story, but learning how to write the words in a way that conveys the message in a style that is appealing and to do that with skill is much harder than I expected when I started writing it.

The fourth year of school was suppose to be somewhat of a "breeze". Not in the sense of the ease of the work, but in that what is required is to read several books and then write a paper on the subject. Wow! Right up my alley! Or so I thought. I spent the first three months just figuring out what was expected in the outline and ended up cutting more than 14 hours worth of work out of it. Then actually writing the paper, hmmm. I finally completed it and knew it was lacking some important things (like a sense of connection through the whole thing!) But I was just done. (Ever been there, just done?) Please understand, I have been working on this thing since week three of Sept. and the original due date was Oct. 15. I feel pressure to get it completed (from myself, not the school). Also please understand, that I have always had no trouble writing good papers. Finding enough words has never been a problem for me. I usually have the opposite trouble - way too much to say. I wrote more than 40,000 words last year for a paper that was requiring 5,000 and had to cut it down. I think I manage to get it to 8,000. So having difficulty making this paper happen is really frustrating.

However, I realize that in both of these areas there is pruning taking place. As I submit my writing to other writers and friends who have agreed to edit for me, I get critiques and suggestions that have shown me how to improve the story and my writing in general. I have learned that there is much to learn and that He will continue to bring others into my life as I need to know. There is humility in that. I am not a 20 yo in college. I'm almost 51, homeschooled for 13 years, saw 2 of my children graduated under my schooling, and have been writing since I first learned how at age 7. Yet, there is not really pain in the advice. The cutting comes in the amount of rewriting, restructuring, and slowly moving toward the completion of the story that I already know the ending to. I want it to be good; I want it to be excellent in content, research, and style. I am fully convinced that while I would like to shoot it off and send it out, it is not ready and I would not be satisfied, nor the Lord honored if I do not spend the time shaping it and learning how to do this better. So I am leaning in as the Father bends my twig and clips this and that, leaving the correct angle for further growth and stronger, healthier, and abundant fruit.

Learning how to write an adequate or hopefully well written academic paper is also more than I expected. But I am learning. I am waiting it out and writing it over and adding to it where it needs more. In all honesty, I wish I could stamp it and mail it today. I wish I could move on and not look back at this first paper. But there is reason that the Lord pulls this twig and clips and that twig and clips again.

I know there is a specific purpose to what He is doing. I don't know what. I know there is fruit that is waiting to blossom, and ripen. But before it comes, the pruning must come. I need to learn how to do each of these things well. I am so impatient, and that is one of the things He has revealed in this process. Some things came too easily. Learning to slow down and take the time to do it well and right is harder than it should be. And I have had to set other things aside in order to make time to do this. Another piece of the pruning. More than I can list is taking place, some in my heart and mind, some in the natural life. but He is accomplishing His purpose as He pulls and clips. He doesn't just want me to produce fruit; He has MORE fruit for me. Because to abide in Him means abundance, right? How blessed are we to be His! I would say I can't wait to see what He does, yet I can, I will, and it will be in His perfect time.

Are you being pruned? Or is this the season of production or harvest for you? Whether you feel the cold edge of the shears as the cut through or you are enjoying the abundance of a full harvest, know that when the Father tends your branch, it is in love. For He disciplines those He loves. I am thankful for His love, His discipline, His pruning. I hope you can say that with me.