Pruning

I was outside today trimming a HUGE out-of-control ornamental grass that grows in our front yard.  Those who drive past our house know exactly what I am talking about.  ;)

I forgot to cut it back last year like I do every fall and what the plant had become this Spring is really unexplainable.   It was just huge stalks of dead leaves and barely any new growth was able to make it through.  I had to cut back the big huge tall dead stalks and then get down to the middle of the plant and rake out all the dead and rotted (from all of the rain) dead grass that had become stuck and tangled up in the plant.   

WOW - is this not exactly how God works on us if we allow him?    We often forget to run to our Savior for confession and repentance and eventually get covered up in our sin to the point that we are just one big stuck and tangled mess with nothing "living" growing from our lives.  So, my experience is that we eventually get bogged down by all the dead growth in our life, which produces nothing and give us no joy, and realize that we must do some personal pruning in order to truly live again - to produce the fruits that God would have us produce.   God is so faithful to prune us if we honestly go to Him with a realization of our sin, see the sin for what it is and bring it to His feet, lay it down and ask him "Lord, prune me."    Not that this has every been an enjoyable experience in my life - no, in fact, it is painful, but on the other side of it, God brings us joy, peace and is then able to work through us to give us new green growth!   

Love to you all and I would ask for your prayers for our upcoming trip to South Dakota in 10 days.  

Melissa