March 12, 2004

Welcome,
My sensitive side ached with every blossom I severed. Waiting this late in the season to prune the trees left them heavy with expectant bloom. The long, slender shoots with alternating dark pink buds fell silently to the ground. They would wither and die. Such a waste, I thought.

My practical side looked over last years growth and calculated how few seasons it would take for the trees to outgrow their space. I visualized the crowded stems dying for lack of nourishment and sunlight. I anticipated imbalance and ill health. So each cut took for size, for shape, for light and for air circulation.

Psalm 1 says the righteous are like trees – green and fruitful. So why do we get knots in the pit of our stomach when we see God walking towards us with His knife?
Shoots of envy, doubt, greed, pride, fear and indifference quickly grow in the gardens of human life. Self-discipline cannot root them out. God’s Spirit can shape us into a fruitful existence. When the ideal God has in store for us becomes more clear to us than our selfish nature, then we can look forward to His work in our lives.

God isn’t taking away what is precious. He’s giving what is precious. Surrender to His knife.

Under His Wings,

Pastor Steve