Prune is the prompt word for Day 26 of #write28days. The word made me first think of our blueberry bushes. Early on, a nearby berry farmer told us to wait five years after planting before doing any pruning. So we heeded his advice.
Our daughter came and pruned some for us, but I don’t think we got to all of them. Nevertheless, we get lots of blueberries every year. We have now had them in the ground for eight years, so some probably will need pruning again this fall.
Speaking of pruning, the forest line is creeping closer and closer to our house. We need to prune some trees, but others, along with the scrub brush, need to come down. I would like to have a small area surrounding the house with a few flowers and edible plants. Then, we could leave the rest to the forest.
Sometimes we don’t prune soon enough, but sometimes we might be too quick and do it at the wrong time. We wouldn’t want to cut away branches in the spring when they have blossoms. That would certainly make for a poor harvest.
Our square foot gardens have a lot of runaway weeds. They seem to take over so quickly, but the lavender and oregano are growing nicely. This year I want to move the gardens back up the hill closer to the back door. That way it will be easier to care for them and bring in the harvest.
Aren’t our lives like that? Sometimes the weeds and cares of our lives threaten to choke us.
Prune Away Time Wasters
Maybe we just haven’t taken the time to examine what might be helpful and what might be draining our energy. We might need to just let some things go in order to use our energy wisely. For me, I know that I waste time scrolling through Facebook and Instagram. Don’t get me wrong. I think there is a place for them. I have some very close friends I communicate with through Facebook messenger.
What I am talking about is the amount of time wasted when I sit down for “just a few minutes” and it turns into hours. Instead, of mindlessly scrolling, I could set a timer to remind me to stop. Then I could use the time I regained to work on other areas of my home.
Don’t Prune Mindlessly or Give Up
Other times we may get so tired of all the things seeming to pull on us that we just start cutting away aimlessly. I’m thinking of how my kids and husband accused me of being on the warpath. I would get so tired of the messiness I would go on a rampage complaining loudly the whole time I was cleaning up.
But that kind of “pruning” doesn’t make for a happy or a neat, clean house. Nowadays it’s more like I’ve wasted time, and suddenly realize there’s so much work to do. Then I push myself to do things quickly. Or I get overwhelmed and give up, putting it off for another day.
Prune Responsibly
Lately, I’ve been realizing that I’ve let myself be overwhelmed too much with what is not getting done in my house. I want to be a good steward of my home and my possessions. That includes getting rid of things that aren’t helpful or are just holding a space for no particular reason.
I have been going about it all wrong. Instead of heaping guilt on myself or others, I should have a plan.
There are many areas I could divide up and tackle one at a time. I should not expect to get rid of over 20 years of accumulation in one day. It would be so much better to picture in my mind how our house and possessions can serve us rather than hinder. Then take steps to eliminate what is unnecessary and find proper places for needed items.
But instead of working with a grumbling, complaining attitude, I can imagine how nice it will be when we are finished. Instead of wishing to hurry through the process, I could enjoy the time as I see progress made.
Do everything without grumbling and arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world, by holding firm to the word of life.
Rather than dreading the chores I could remember that God is with me and look for joy and blessings in the work. I could look for ways to make it enjoyable and just maybe recruit others as they see my joy.
1 Corinthians 10:31 (NLT)
So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
You can find the rest of my #write28days series HERE.
I’m linking up with: #TeaAndWord, #TrekkingThru
Prune is a good word for this week. My husband and I arrived home the other day to find our property owner pruning the crepe myrtle out front. At first we were shocked beyond belief. A lot of the tree was gone. The front of the house looked very different. Yet, after a few hours, we stood outside and looked at the tree. After the initial pruning, everything looks good. Sometimes pruning is needed to grow in a better way. 🙂
Wow, that must have been a surprise at first! I’m glad the end product looks good. Sometimes pruning is hard, isn’t it? But in the long run it actually helps. Thanks for visiting, Melissa. Blessings to you!
Dear Gayl,
Wow, those blueberries look amazing and so abundant!! There really is so much about pruning that we still need to learn, isn’t there? I loved this thought: “Sometimes we don’t prune soon enough, but sometimes we might be too quick and do it at the wrong time. ” It is such a comfort to think that when God is pruning me, He always knows when is the best time. I might feel like it is the absolute worst time for pruning, but He sees the big picture, and understands the whole process so much better than I do! Thank you for stirring my heart with such precious thoughts. And, oh, how I love that little squirrel! He is looking right at me! 🙂 Love and Hugs Dear Sister! xo
I’ll have to admit that the photo of the blueberries is from a couple of years ago, but I’m sure we’ll have a great crop this year if the weather cooperates. It is comforting to know that God’s timing is perfect when he is pruning us. We can definitely trust Him with our lives. That squirrel is cute, isn’t he? 🙂 Blessings, love and hugs to you, dear sister! xoxo
I like the many ways you apply pruning to our lives. Pruning is something that can be so painful to do, but can provide such great benefits if we’ll get intentional with it!
You’re right. Pruning can be painful, but the benefits are rich. Blessings to you, LIsa!
Gayl. Oh my goodness. Where do I begin? It was like reading my life story on here. This is the second time the term pruning has come up specifically for me this week. I really think God is trying to tell me something. This is wonderful. Just wonderful.
Oh, wow, Brittany! I see I’m not alone. 🙂 I’m so glad this post spoke to you and I’m so glad you stopped by. Now I just need the determination to follow through with my clutter removal. Or rather, determination along with trust and strength from God, who can help me stay on track Blessings to you, Brittany!
So good, Gayl! I have found myself in a similar place… discovering after months of being on doctor-ordered rest, that I have become a bit too loose with my lack of schedule and need to find a routine and a plan once again –to fully invest in each day and not just let the hours slip away! We can do this, my friend! And as you said –as we do it, we will find joy!
Thank you, Karrilee. It’s so easy to get too loose with a schedule and mess up the routine. Then it’s so hard to get bad on track, isn’t it? But you are right. We can do this. With God’s help we can keep on track or get back on when we stray. May He help us follow through and find joy at the same time. Blessings to you!
Prune. A word near and dear to my heart. Way back in the mid-90’s my friend and I wrote, published, and mailed a woman’s newsletter; I wrote under the moniker “A Pruned Branch.” Of course my first book was named after that. Pruning is a painful process but oh so necessary to bring the best fruit. Snip. Snip. Your posts are always interesting and creative. xo
It’s a good word, though we don’t always like the idea of pruning. One of these days I’ll get around to that book of yours. I do have the Lent book, which I didn’t finish. Maybe during this year’s Lent I will not let other things interfere and keep up with my reading. I’m glad you find my posts interesting and creative. That means a lot. Blessings to you, Susan! xo