The Vine and The Branches

"I am the 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. ... I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." -Jesus {John 15:1-2, 5}

I was reading John 15 yesterday because our pastor had preached on verse 5 at church earlier in the morning. 

I love this: "Every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."

The Gardener definitely "pruned" me this past weekend.

And boy, did it hurt. 

It was a nice, painful, hits-you-right-in-the-gut reminder that apart from the vine I can do nothing.

And it hurt. Because sometimes we hold on to the "dead" parts of ourselves way too long - so when it's time for the Gardener to prune in off, it hurts.

But then He gives you something better. He reminds you that he alone is enough. He reminds you that your life is His. 

And you adjust and you start to grow again and it feels way better than before. 

Sometimes, before a plant can grow any more, it has to be pruned. The dead ends have to be trimmed off.

It'll hurt. 

But once you get over the initial pain, it feels pretty darn good.

And you remember that the Gardener always, always knows what's best for you.

His plans never harm you.