I kill plants. Not on purpose, mind you. I just forget to water them. And, pruning? Well, the word makes me think of prune juice, not plucking off or cutting back a plant. As you can imagine, the planters around our house either look pitiful or vibrant with bright yellows or oranges. Home Depot is my friend . . . always ready to sell me beautiful flowering replacements. About three months ago, it was time to replace two dying plants out back. We found two . . . one with stunning yellow flowers and one with burgundy flowers. They were perfect! About a month later, dying. So one day when I was watching my grandson Colton, he went over to the planter and started picking off the dead flowers. Hmmmm. I ran in and grabbed a pair of scissors and cut the plant back to just about nothing. I put watering on my schedule (Colt loves the watering can and helping me do this!). Lo and behold, within a few weeks I had tons of yellow flowers!! New growth sprouting more and more little buds everywhere! Now, pruning means something different to me . . . and I am doing my best to make sure my little plants are nurtured and continue to produce more and more little pieces of sunshine.
In todays Gospel (John 15:1-8), Jesus teaches us the importance of pruning ourselves and reaching out to others:
Jesus said to his disciples: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither;
people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”
In the Monthly Message of March 2007, Jesus assures us He has a Green Thumb:
"Your holiness blossoms under the prudent and watchful care of the Divine Gardner. You may wish to advance more quickly. You may sigh at the labours necessary for advancing in holiness. I understand both of these things but I tell you today that you should not be discouraged. It is I, Jesus, after all, who contemplates your soul and determines the speed with which you need to progress to arrive at the perfect place at the correct time. If you were to move too quickly, you might miss this mark. If you were to stop labouring, you would not advance as far as I require. Be at peace in the place where you are spiritually and understand that I am ministering to you constantly there. Be also at peace that you must labour for holiness, moving constantly forward in virtue. I am with you. I take your willingness to serve and your willingness to become holier and truly I flow great things into your soul and into the world. I ask that each apostle find quiet during this time, allowing silence to prune the weeds that spring up in each day’s activity. We work together on your soul, as I have said, and I, Jesus, expect that there is work to be done. If I did not expect that your soul needed work, I would say that you had advanced far enough and I would take you to heaven. When you see the condition of your soul and you correctly identify that there is work to be done and projects to undertake, rejoice. Compare your soul to My soul and you will see a glimpse of the completion of this project. You must say, ‘Truly, I trust that Jesus will get me there if I follow Him.’ I will not abandon the project of your holiness. Neither should you."
Lay apostles, there is a song by Kelly Clarkson called "Sober." One of the lines, since I first heard the song, reminds me how much my life continues to improve trusting Jesus never leaves me: Picked all my weeds but kept the flowers. But I know, its never really over. As Jesus says in the quote above, if we were perfect, He would take us to heaven! Continue to prune, my friends. Read and reread the Volumes until He has taken complete residence in your heart, mind and soul. Do the work. He is worth it!
Thank you, Lord, for the pruning You have done in my life when I wasn't strong enough or smart enough to do it myself!
God bless,
Bonnie
My planter this morning . . . thinking I need to do a little pruning today!
Jesus said to his disciples: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither;
people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”
In the Monthly Message of March 2007, Jesus assures us He has a Green Thumb:
"Your holiness blossoms under the prudent and watchful care of the Divine Gardner. You may wish to advance more quickly. You may sigh at the labours necessary for advancing in holiness. I understand both of these things but I tell you today that you should not be discouraged. It is I, Jesus, after all, who contemplates your soul and determines the speed with which you need to progress to arrive at the perfect place at the correct time. If you were to move too quickly, you might miss this mark. If you were to stop labouring, you would not advance as far as I require. Be at peace in the place where you are spiritually and understand that I am ministering to you constantly there. Be also at peace that you must labour for holiness, moving constantly forward in virtue. I am with you. I take your willingness to serve and your willingness to become holier and truly I flow great things into your soul and into the world. I ask that each apostle find quiet during this time, allowing silence to prune the weeds that spring up in each day’s activity. We work together on your soul, as I have said, and I, Jesus, expect that there is work to be done. If I did not expect that your soul needed work, I would say that you had advanced far enough and I would take you to heaven. When you see the condition of your soul and you correctly identify that there is work to be done and projects to undertake, rejoice. Compare your soul to My soul and you will see a glimpse of the completion of this project. You must say, ‘Truly, I trust that Jesus will get me there if I follow Him.’ I will not abandon the project of your holiness. Neither should you."
Lay apostles, there is a song by Kelly Clarkson called "Sober." One of the lines, since I first heard the song, reminds me how much my life continues to improve trusting Jesus never leaves me: Picked all my weeds but kept the flowers. But I know, its never really over. As Jesus says in the quote above, if we were perfect, He would take us to heaven! Continue to prune, my friends. Read and reread the Volumes until He has taken complete residence in your heart, mind and soul. Do the work. He is worth it!
Thank you, Lord, for the pruning You have done in my life when I wasn't strong enough or smart enough to do it myself!
God bless,
Bonnie
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