Trees, vines, fruit and pruning - a morning reflection
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 prunes, so that it will be even more fruitful. -- John 15:1-2 Our job isn't about making fruit. Our first job is staying connected to the vine. And that has been a challenge all on its own. The week I got out of the hospital, the tree in the back yard split in half. Luckily it didn't fall on the house, but it came dang close. To me, that was my tree. And maybe I was its human. And it knew before I did that I'd have to leave my patents home. It was in mourning; I felt much the same way when I finally realized this place I had loved so much, loved my family inside its walls, would no longer be my home. I think this was just another sign of the many ways I had been pruned since the opening of 2022. I had asked for more fulfillment in my life over the previous few years. And suddenly every stable foundation I thought strong, faltere...