You may recall a Monday Morning Message post from January (see it here) in which I discussed the pruning of a little plum tree in our yard. As a follow up on that little story I present you with the fruit of my labors. The picture above is indicative of the entire tree. It is literally loaded with fruit this year (the little green balls are the plums - I'll try to remember to post a photo of the ripened fruit)! Seems that pruning does have a profitable return.
Sadly, I cannot produce a similar photo of my own life. If anything, it seems that I have gathered new things that are preventing me from being as fruitful as I should be. The well worn wag that "good is the enemy of best" certainly rings true.
A serendipitous moment was given me this week. What could have been a huge frustration turned into a marvelous blessing in my life. A lapse in communication found me in another town with 5 hours of unclaimed time. The early morning departure from my house only to discover I could have left closer to mid-day at first rankled me but an unread book in my bag, a stunningly beautiful morning, and a bench near the river offered me the chance to enjoy some uninterrupted time to myself. Amazingly, all those pressing, important, and insistent things that I could have been doing in those 5 hours were right where I left them with one important difference, the jangle of their insistence was gone.
Pruning. I am more convinced than ever that it must be a regular part of my life. I am far too prone to collect parasitic flotsam and jetsam and need to remove it often. It always results in better fruit in my life.
Jesus told his good friends to "Consider the lilies of the field..." (Matthew 6:28) I'm watching, Lord. Thanks for the opportunity to learn from a simple tree.
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