Pruning? Ouch!

I've been thinking a lot about pruning this week. Probably because at least twice if not three times I've had the opportunity to pray with the "I am the Vine You are the Branches" scripture passage.  At first I got caught up in all the usual thoughts, didn't seem to move my heart anywhere in particular. Soon I realized that pruning isn't really about removing the dead useless branches as much as it is having the wisdom to remove healthy growth, so the plant can grow fuller and more healthier. God knows I can't keep a plant alive to save my life. I have no idea how to prune anything.  But God must be pruning me all the time. Apparently it's not a choice between good and bad, but rather a choice between good and better! So the question I'm pondering is, do I have the courage to trust that God knows what God is doing in my life? How much do I really trust God anyway?

I can look back on my life's journey and see all the ways God has led me from one place to the next. And in each of those moments, there really was a letting go of something that had made me happy, for the possibility of greater ministry, more work for the kingdom in a new place. It truly was a choice for something I didn't even know could be 'better'! What a "sneaky" God we have. Bringing us to more joyful moments we couldn't even imagine.

So here at St Francis de Sales we prepare now to celebrate baptisms, communions, confirmation, and a pretty significant anniversary for our pastor. I'll throw in my niece's college graduation for good measure! Oh, and another niece performing at Carnegie Hall...it's gonna be a busy month.  And for all the blessings that will be shared in all these beautiful moments, I am most grateful.

These are the joyful moments I'll hold on to on those less than perfect days when my mom doesn't seem to recognize me, when I find myself in a ridiculous argument with someone close to me, or when a day is just too sad to move through. Maybe these are the moments of pruning that I need to endure in order to blossom better in the days to come.

I want to believe I trust God enough to let him prune me as he sees fit. I'm not sure that's true, but it's what I've been praying all week long, so, maybe...I'm getting there bit by bit. Hope you are too!