A time for prunning

Growing up there was a large mulberry tree on the side of our house. It was a big tree, or so it seemed to me as a child, good for climbing, playing games under, providing shade, and occasionally feeding silk worms. There are several issues with Mulberry trees, including the fact that they like to grow out horizontally, both in limb and root system. Since our tree was only 7 feet or so away from our house, this could cause problems. My dad used to periodically have to prune the tree. He would cut off many of the branches that went out horizontally in order to coax the tree to grow more vertically. This helped safeguard our roof from damage from the branches. And although we knew it was necessary, my mother and I used to groan when my dad would take his chainsaw to the tree. My dad didn't just prune; in our estimation, he butchered. The entire yard surrounding the tree would be covered in branches 2-3 feet deep. I remember us trying to tell him to stop, that he had cut enough. But he kept going. He was able to see past the half a tree lying on the ground and realize that he was doing what was necessary and right. Had my mother and I had our way, we would have let the tree damage the house.

I tell this story today because I have been thinking about pruning. There are times in life when we are pruned, when God cuts away things from us in order to give us new life. Sometimes they look green and leafy and we struggle to understand why those parts must die. Because indeed, pruning involves dying. Tomorrow I begin a journey that will hopefully mark the beginning of the death of the cancer in my body. But I sense too that during these months I will be called to let other stuff die. Some of it has begun already, including my need for control, and my pride. The pruning hurts. It's uncomfortable, and in some ways seems unnecessary. But I'm trying to trust that God knows my health better than I do. And just like that mulberry tree, I believe that this season of pruning will bring about new life and health that could not have happened otherwise.

My thoughts arose today when a friend of mine spoke about her year of resurrection...of new life. This is what I want and what I yearn for: life, new life both physically, spiritually, and emotionally. And I believe that it is coming. I just pray that I survive the season of pruning that must proceed.