Pruning is a gift

Just cut my peonies back and am reminded that with the pruning, I can expect these beauties again next year. It was painful getting those shears out, snipping, and tossing the perfectly green stalks in the garbage. The more I've gotten to know the Father, the more I trust that He has my best interests in mind (Jer 32:40)... even in the trimming, paring, and cutting away. The Gardener is never closer to the branches than when He is doing the pruning.

And I can testify to this with all my soul: experiencing God’s loving presence in the tough season is priceless. Learning to praise Him even while you're picked and plucked will most certainly yield a harvest that will be more beautiful, flourishing, and enjoyable than before. It may not feel like it, but pruning is a gift and in faith I welcome it instead of resisting. This is what I tell myself seeing these prize blooms from earlier this year.

There were 9 beautiful peonies like this harvested at the house the Lord gave us before we ever moved in. What will be yielded from those bushes in the next season? What will be yielded in my life in the next season... because I submitted to His tending? If this handful is any indication, let me say "have Your way, Father" with a smile on my face and a song on my lips.

He knows what He's doing brothers and sisters. He knows what's best for each of us. Let's praise Him for times of pruning and growth. He loves us to no end and has a harvest in mind for our lives... for us to enjoy and Him to glory in. May we trust You and bear much for You, Father.