Pruning back

Today Katy and I are pruning back the bushes around our house. The previous renters apparently didn't do any pruning, and the bushes grew wild. So we're trying to bring them back to the condition where they can branch out again and grow new foliage.

Whenever I prune plants back, I'm reminded of John 15:1-2, where Jesus says, "I am the true vine and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit."

It seems like part of life is to grow, and part of life is to be cut back. Lent is coming soon, and it always seems to me that Lent is a time for pruning, a chance to think about what I might need to reduce in my life, or what I might need to pull back from.

The point of pruning is not to kill the plant, but make it more productive. So maybe by cutting back in some areas of my life during Lent, other areas will become more productive. I'm not sure what I'll do for Lent yet, but it's a good time to think about it.
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