Prune away

The older I get, the more I learn how much I enjoy being outside in the sunshine with my hands in the dirt. I spent Saturday at Lowe’s for supplies then working with my kiddos to weed and remulch all of my flower beds and plant a few new plant friends around the yard.

While I was out there on my hands and knees, mulching my large flower bed behind the porch, I got a close up look of my rose bush. From standing, it really didn’t seem to be out of sorts but from the vantage point I had while mulching, I could see a LOT of help needed.

There were lots of pieces that were left from last year’s growth. Things that were dead from last season but were still attached to the newly bloomed plant. Those dead pieces held no beauty but did have plenty of thorns and they HURT if I got too close (stuck myself a few times).

I grabbed the scissors that I was opening mulch bags with and I started cutting off dead pieces of the rose bush. I found some of the pieces were fine for me to cut but others were too thick and I couldn’t even make a dent (literally).

If you’re new here, you may not be aware that I’m a very “hands on” learner with a visual flair. The Lord knows this about me and he often ties lessons for me to learn to things I’m doing.

Here I am, all but being attacked by some old, dried out, used up stems on my rose bush. Then trying to fix it and growing frustrated because I can’t.

And just like that, the Lord starts talking to me about how until I examined more closely, I didn’t realize just how many dead and lifeless pieces were there on my rose bush. That I hadn’t paid attention to how those dead pieces were intertwined in the new life but were still able to wound any life that came near it. Those pieces would still expel some energy from my plant and interfere with the new life and new growth in progress.

The plant doesn’t have the ability to prune itself. It will hold on to those old seasons of used up growth that no longer serve it, adapt, and grow around it unless a skilled gardener comes in to help remove the dead things. If some hack (like me and my scissors) come in there ill equipped, there can be some progress but it will never be the same as if an expert comes in with the right tools and knowledge.

Do you know why pruning my rose bush is so important? I gave it a google and the AI response says “Pruning roses is necessary for their overall health, to encourage more and better blooms, and to maintain their shape and size. It involves removing dead, diseased, or damaged growth, thinning out overcrowded canes, and shaping the plant for better airflow and light penetration.”

If you haven’t out two and two together, we’re the rosebush in the garden. We sometimes hold on to old seasons, for various reasons. Even when they hurt us, even when they no longer serve us, even when they may hinder us. We cover that ugly up with new growth but what we really need to do is let the Lord come in, examine us, and remove it all together. To put down our scissors that aren’t helping us fully attack the problem and entrust our Father to have the knowledge and the tools needed to make the difference. When we get out of the way and let him take care of it, he can ultimately make room for the new things to come and help us transition fully into the season at hand.

That end result is always so worth it.

❤️