Pruning Encourages New Growth (a five minute friday)

My Five Minute Friday on: Encouragement

Every year my husband cuts back our roses. They look like stumps when he's done with them. Dead stumps with thorns.

If he didn't prune the roses back they would still grow and bloom in June. But there is something about chopping them back to stumps that actually encourages growth.

It makes me think about people. And suffering. And the harshness of life seasons.

The Gardener could just leave us alone. We could grow all gnarly and tangled. Neglected. And we would probably still produce a bud here and there.

But He cares for the garden. He prunes and yanks out the weeds. He removes the dead wood. And sometimes He cuts us back to the stump.

It may look dim there.

We may wonder why he cut off all of our branches. It took us all spring to grow this tall.

But He is reshaping.

His care encourages — new growth.

So we can produce healthier blooms.

As the Gardner waters and fertilizes the "stump" to nurture and feed the flowers, our words and care, especially amid the trials, nurtures and feeds people.

Our loving truth and encouragement inspires courage and hope (Merriam-Webster.com).

Without it people do not thrive.

We all need a Gardner to believe in us — to encourage our growth and love us to new life.

Thankful for the encouragers in my life that give me the courage to grow, heal, and blossom.



Linking today with Lisa-Jo…