We had one of the biggest Bradford Pear trees you have ever seen in our front yard. My husband used to prune it every year so that the wind could blow through without breaking the tree. But my husband just crossed his 72 birthday celebration off the list. I am no longer comfortable with him climbing a tree to prune it, so we cut it down.
My child, don’t reject the LORD’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. For the LORD corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.
Proverbs 3:11-12 (NLT)
You may have heard it said, “if you do what you always do you get what you always got.”* Well, my God is about new creations and he has bumped us all out of the “way we have always done it” mindset.
It’s been an upside down year. But I am thankful that my Father has forced me out of my routine, or rut if you will. I’m forced to innovate and I have ample time to connect with both him and others.
So, as I move forward, I move in fresh ways. The wind of the Spirit blows through my pruned life, just as wind blows through a well-pruned tree rather than splitting it asunder. It ruffles the leaves, to be sure, but we learn to move together with the spirit rather than fighting for territory. I know growth involves change, and I am thankful that my good Father has brought it to my attention.
I think all of us who follow Christ can feel the wind of the spirit blowing through our lives, calling us to change. God is refining us. God is refining his church too. He is burning off the excess before it does irreparable damage.
So this thanksgiving choose thankfulness. Choose to cherish the “less” over the “more”. Will you join me as I use the space to ask God, what would you have me learn? What should I let go of?
*This quote is attributed to Henry Ford.
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