PRUNING

I love flowers. Roses, tulips, daisies and my favorites are lilies because they take their time to blossom but when they do, they tower over the others. So, from time to time my beloved gift me lovely bouquets. I love the ambience and the feminine aroma they bring to my room. That is why l nurture them daily to make sure they last for at least a week or two. Everyday l change the water and put sugar or a powdery substance that sustains them. After two days l remove the neatly wrapped wrapping paper and ribbon and place them in a beautiful vase l bought specifically for such occasions. I remove any withered leaves, cut the stems 2cm and sometimes remove dry petals. l prune them. I prune them so they can last longer and appear pleasant at all times.

WHY WE REQUIRE PRUNING

Pruning is not peculiar to plants but it happens often in our lives. I always wonder that if l can be so caring for flowers, how much more God in our lives. The Bible says He loads us daily with benefits so this implies that He is involved in every detail of our lives every single day. Pruning is defined as “trimming a tree/shrub by cutting away dead or overgrown branches or stems, especially to increase fruitfulness and growth”. Its also know as the reduction of parts of a plant, or vine that are not requisite to growth or production, or are no longer visually pleasing, or are injurious to the health or development of the plant.
There are certain habits, norms, strong holds, toxic patterns that may find way into your life. This can be in form of addiction, bad friends/relationships, bitterness, childhood trauma, low self-esteem, depression etc. These things short circuit your focus, your reasoning, your abilities, your hope, your mindset and sometimes your faith and that is why God prunes them. Most times you have to do the pruning. It can get uncomfortable but remember it’s for growth.

DEAD LEAVES

Dead leaves represent the unproductive habits, people in our lives, circles, sometimes even jobs. Before you point one finger remember four are pointing back at you. So ask yourself if you’re a dead leaf in someone else’s life, in your work place, in church and in your relationships. Dead leaves are meant to be cut not only because they make the plant look unpleasant but they hinder the growth. What is limiting your growth today? In John 15.2 Jesus says any brunch that does not bear fruit is cut away, and He repeatedly prunes any brunch that continuously produces fruit so that it may “bear more and richer and excellent fruits”. When l read this scripture l understood why great men and women face constant rejection, sometimes its not a curse its God pruning people, opportunities and habits out of their live and ushering them into their next level, keeping them out of their comfort zones so they may bear much excellent fruit. Does this resonate with you?

SOGGY STEM

The stem is part of the flower that is always in water so it can get soggy, lifeless and dull. To get the best results you need to cut about 2cm of your stem before putting them into new water. This is the same rule as putting new wine in old wineskins, you can’t do that. Take the stem as your mind. You need a renewed mindset . Your mind is exposed to ample information and 70 % of it might be negative. You therefore need to consciously submit every thought to the Word of God and cut any supply of negative information. This way you will always be in a good position to receive and appreciate new blessings and opportunities in your life. Remember your mind construct your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become habits, habits entail character which will result to a lifestyle. What kind of lifesty do you want for yourself.

DIRTY WATER

By the end of each day the water in my flower vase is contaminated and dirty so l change it and put clean water. If l don’t do this, my flowers will shrivel. Water symbolizes your environment. Your environment includes the people around you, your relatives, friends and colleagues. You need to put a check on who you allow acces to. It is always a good idea to protect your energy. Also ensure you stay in a clean environment (your home/room), this has a huge effect on your mind. That is why making your bed first thing every morning will change your life. A clean environment is a great energy booster that will encourage you to go about your day productively.

GOOD VASE

The vase represents God in your life. In Him everything in your life adds up. There is never a good bouquet of flowers that lasted without a vase. Not only does the vase compliment the flowers, but it houses them. The water may change, the leaves and petals may fall off but the vase remains a constant though it is not part of the plant. The vase gives the flowers stability and it is the one thing that will always stay, even when the flowers dry and wilt…

Cheers!