Over the course of the many summers we have lived in Montana, there have been numerous wildfires. The last one came within 1,000 yards of our family home. The smoke was too thick to even see your hand in front of your face. The firefighters did an excellent job of attending to the homes along the lake, moving woodpiles away from structures, trimming and thinning out much of the undergrowth. We will always be grateful for their efforts on our behalf.
Several family members live in another state but in very woodsy areas. They get a break on their fire insurance rates if they have their property thinned out which they have all done. This is actually a way to preserve the forest, though some people fight against it, viewing the result as less lush than previously. But, just as we saw with the tongue (7/27/21), a small spark can cause a huge and devastating blaze in record time. National Parks believe in leaving everything natural, and the end result can be mass destruction. What once were large, beautiful trees are reduced to blackened stalks which dot the mountainside, casting a grayish pall over what was once green and gorgeous. What’s interesting is that – in the midst of the sticks that were once trees – beautiful greenery and flowers will pop up, making the area take on the appearance of a garden. No one plants anything. It’s as if the area were starting over.
Not known for having a green thumb, I still recognize the necessity of cutting things back once in awhile. If the cutting is severe enough, the plant may look stark and even ugly for a time. But, continue watering and soon new growth appears. Not long after that, it looks better than before, though if you interviewed the plant, it would probably not have been thrilled with being cut. 
This view of a burned out area reminded me of the value of “starting fresh” once in awhile. Sometimes God trims us back a little. We can’t say we’re thrilled with it, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a purpose and we can’t learn from it. We are, after all, still in process. He’s still molding us into His image. Personally, I’m surprised He hasn’t done more trimming in my life than He has (not that I’m complaining, of course!).
Well, since He is the Master Gardener (John 15:1), perhaps we should accept His clipping and trust Him for the results.
“All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful, yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” (Hebrews 12:11)
Amen! Thank you Teri!
Thanks for the reminder and encouragement Teri. Lord help me accept what seems so painful and distasteful at the time I’m experiencing it! Soon the pruning will end and we’ll be with you! Help me to be patient!
I remember when we had a nice yard, and Bill used to prune the plants a couple times a year, and all the gardening tools he gathered out of the garage to do so. Each gardening tool had a specific purpose. God uses many different kinds of tools to prune us also, sometimes down to the root, so that the fruit may become righteous in His sight. Thanks, Teri, for the reminder.
Very good word with imagery. I’m reminded of cutting away unnecessary flesh … circumcision. I have plenty that needs pruned. Thanks for reminding us that it is a precious opportunity for self-examination. Our “undergrowth” is as potentially destructive to our spiritual growth and health. Thank you for setting a fire in my soul!