“I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he trims clean so that it will be even more fruitful.”
We don’t have much wine around here, but in our backyard are two cherry trees, a pine tree and a little pear tree. The pear tree looks as though it is probably two years old or so – scrawny, the leaves only grow on one side. We get some pears on it each year, but they are small, stunted. The many footballs that this tree has to endure, being in the middle of the playing field, might have something to do with what it looks like. The tree is actually more than 15 years old. It has never been trimmed.
Behind our house, on the other side of the canal, is an orchard. There are apple and pear trees there. The pear trees there are also quite small. Most are not any taller than I am. During the winter months they look like sad dwarves, huddling in soldier formation waiting for Spring to return. But when Spring returns, they explode in flower. And by the summer they will be full, no, bursting with fruit. The first time I saw it I was astounded (knowing nothing about fruit trees). These pear trees look like Arnold Schwarzeneggar on steroids (or is that double up?).
These trees are pruned every year, cut back to the bare essentials while they wait for the growth to burst forth. This all just hit me tonight as I was out with Snuffles walking along this orchard. It made me think of lots of things, but mostly that being small doesn’t say anything. You can be small (as a church as well) and that could mean that you’ve been neglected. Or you can be small and extremely fruitful. I may not know what I’m really asking for, but I am ready for some pruning - as long as the Father is the one doing the pruning, it will work out great!
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