When we moved into our new house there were overgrown and somewhat dying rose bushes in the yard. I had a friend come over and show me how to prune them, He did some and I did some. It was so scary because you cut off almost all of the bush! It looked like a couple of twigs coming out of the grown, but slowly they began to grow back. Little sprouts appeared on the stubby twigs, and they turn to flowers and then all of a sudden there is a rose bud. It stays green for a long time and then one day I came out to water the garden and there was a rose. A beautiful yellow and pink rose. I was ecstatic!
I felt so accomplished that I had grown a rose. The time waiting was so anguishing becuase they just look dead, but when the rose appears it is so worth it. Once they bloom I have to start the cycle all over again, but this time I will be more confident and assurance that roses will come.
Pruning makes me think a lot about life. There are so many things in my life that I need to let God prune, or that He is pruning. I may look like stumpy twigs for awhile but if I am patient and let Him work one day all my twigs will turn into beautiful roses!
But it doesn't stop there, I am always in need of pruning, even those roses one day will need to be pruned back to make way for new growth. I am so thankful that we serve a God that loves us enough to teach us and help us grow through the pain of pruning, and that we can trust him more and more each time as we learn that Roses always come in the end.
