Come Running Like a Prodigal

The parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 came alive to me a few years ago.  I was at a Chris Tomlin concert where Louie Giglio, a pastor from Atlanta, Georgia, gave a mini sermon and explained that passage of Scripture in a way I had never grasped:  The picture of the father running to meet his wayward son.

Since then, that has been a beautiful passage to me and I view it with different eyes.  Recently, I was listening to a sermon that used that passage of Scripture and it brought it to light again. 

The Lord allowed me to use that same passage with one of my own children recently and he continued to teach me His truths as I read the passage to my own.

Being a teenager is hard in this world.  

Being  an adult is hard in this world.

No matter what age we are in life, we can be just like that Prodigal Son from Luke 15.  For those of you not as familiar, I shall recap the story for you:

There was a man who had two sons.  The younger of the two sons decided he wanted his inheritance right then so he could go live his life the way he wanted.  The father graciously allowed this - and gave both of his sons their inheritance while he was still living.  The younger son goes out and parties - hard.  He lives life to the fullest - or so he thinks.  Once his money runs out, so does his "friends" and the great lifestyle he thought had given him joy.  Then, there is a famine in the land.  He becomes so desperate for food that he becomes a servant to a local man, and was willing to eat the husks he was feeding the pigs.  He finally comes to his senses, when he is at the end of himself, and decides to go back home to be a servant for his father.  He felt he was not worthy to be called his son anymore but he would be treated better by doing so.  As the young man is coming home, the Scripture tells us the father, who had been constantly looking for his son, runs to meet him.  He wraps his arms around the son and calls for his servants to bring him clothing, kill a calf, and get ready for a celebration.  His son was back home.  His son was still loved.

The Prodigal Son looked at what the world offered and thought it was worth going after.  We are no different because many times we go after the same emptiness. Satan likes to make the world look so inviting - and then he likes to tell us how bad we are by degrading us as we wallow in the pig sty of our own doing.

Notice what the Lord showed in this parable of what has to happen when we finally realize we need to come back HOME.

1.  When the Prodigal Son had spent all of his money, there came a famine - he was in want.

When we realize the world doesn't satisfy we begin to find we are in "want."  Want for what?  We begin searching.... and sometimes that searching is all about what WE think will fix the emptiness and the satisfaction.

2.  The Prodigal Son then went to a man in the country where he was living at the time and searched for his own way of getting his emptiness filled.  In his desperation to become filled he was willing to eat the food given to the pigs.  He found out that didn't satisfy either.  

We also begin looking for other ways to fill our emptiness.  We fill it with activities, music, movies, hobbies, or just the "fix-it-myself" mentality.  Those never satisfy the famine in our souls that the world leaves behind.

3.  The Prodigal Son comes to his senses.  He thought that even though he felt he was not worthy to be called his father's son any longer, he would at least serve his father.  It would be better than live in the life of emptiness he was facing then.  Nothing HE tried was working.

The Lord draws us back to Him from our own pig sty.  He reminds us through different ways that what WE try to do to fix the problem never works.  The only way to be filled again is in His love and care.  The Lord may use parents, other family, friends, circumstances, or hitting rock bottom to bring us to that reality.

4.  The Prodigal Son comes home - and as he is coming he sees his father running TO him.  His father never once stopped looking for him to come back home.  His father never once stopped loving him. The father clothes him, puts shoes on his feet, a ring on his finger, and kills a fatted calf in his honor - something that was only reserved for highly special occasions.  The prodigal son had nothing left of himself - but he was never hungry again.  His father filled him with all he would ever need.

The same can be said of our Heavenly Father.  There is no distance too far that He is not searching for us to come back to Him.  He runs TO us.  We have to finally have nothing left of ourselves so that our Heavenly Father can clothe us in His righteousness and fill us with the "fatted calf" of His truths, love, and grace.  When we are safe in our Father's arms we are able to be filled completely.

You are never too far gone.

You are never too low.

You are never rejected.

God's love reaches farther than we can imagine.

This world never satisfies.

When the famine from this world comes - come running like a Prodigal to our Heavenly Father.  

There is a fatted calf waiting for you. 

Hard To Be Healthy

It is the new year and it is the time when the gyms are flooded with people, there are diets being pursued, and people say this is the beginning of a new "them."

A majority of the time, those people above fail because they find out it is hard to be healthy.

Especially in our society today.

Steve and I actually began our more healthier journey last summer.  Here is a "back story."

I have desired to eat healthier in the last decade or so.  The older I got, the more I found how hard it was to take off pounds that were never seen before in my life!   Steve and I both lost a great deal of weight in 2013-2014 - but life seemed to creep back up on us and we had gained part of that back.  Steve felt he was especially struggling because he was going to the gym and still not losing as he had hoped.  I just wondered if I was doomed to be the middle-aged woman who kept gaining just because of her age no matter what I tried.

Last summer Steve decided to "bite the bullet" and go to see a Nutritionist.  I was all for that because Steve had a harder time staying away from certain foods than I seemed to have.  When he began with the Nutritionist, he began to see where he was making wrong choices and was finally seeing a breakthrough in the weight coming back off.  He encouraged me to go.  Because I thought I was a pretty healthy eater I did not think I NEEDED the extra help, but I was wrong.  I finally broke down and scheduled my first appointment and it was the best thing that happened for my health!

What I have learned through our Nutritionist has been life changing.  I have learned what is best to eat for my body and why what I thought was healthy and "full of protein" was actually doing a number on my body.  I learned that my best efforts were being thwarted by my lack of understanding of how my body truly works and what it needs. I have felt like a computer that was being de-fragmented - all of the information I have learned over the years has finally begun to come together and "click."  I have learned that most people in our society live to eat, instead of eat to live.  There is a difference!

I could go on and on about the facts she has shared and the diagrams she has shown me of the horrible increase of diseases in America simply because of our horrible eating.  We are one of the richest countries in the world but have the most malnourished people living in it!

If you want to see some of those diagrams click here for diabetes, overweight, obesity, and heart disease.  

All of these facts aside, let's enter LIFE.

Life that is around you with unhealthy choices at every turn.  I can walk in a grocery store and be tempted by the attractive packaging, gimmicks, and signs of a healthier choice, when all it is showing is lies.  I have to purposely walk by those areas and go to the area that I KNOW, and have come to learn, is a better choice for my body and my daily life.  I can go to a restaurant with friends and while they are chowing down on cheeseburgers and fries, I am choosing grilled chicken salad with fruit.  We just got through the holidays and the sweets that surrounded me were DIFFICULT to resist and some days I failed - miserably.

Being healthy is hard.

But doing hard things is what life is about, isn't it?

If everything were easy it would not require effort.  It would not challenge you and grow you.

"Easy" and "eating-what-I-want-when-I-want-it" has gotten a lot of people sickness and death.

While every day is a choice for me to eat healthier, exercise, and resist the temptations in front of me, I know that I am doing all I can to keep the body God has given to me in the healthiest way I can to honor and glorify Him.  When I am eating those fruits and veggies I am thanking Him for the food He has provided that my body intended to use to give me the right kind energy and health.  When I am exercising I am thanking Him for the ability to move.

Let's flip this to a spiritual diet.

As I have mused over what the Lord has shown me in my healthier lifestyle, I could not help but compare it to my spiritual lifestyle.

We live in the United States - a free and rich nation - but one where many are starving because they are feeding on the lies of the "packaging" of quick fixes in religion.  Many want the easy way to live this life free of sin.  Many want to listen to prosperity gospels and false religions instead of feeding on the Bread of Life - which is found only in God's Word.

It can be very hard to be a healthy Christian in our society.  There are so many attractive packages of "truth", gimmicks, and lies that people readily believe.  Sin is constant around us because of human nature - I can stumble and fall ever so quickly.  Sometimes people think just because one might be a Christian that church, Bible study, and prayer are NOT needed.  Salvation is obtained and then life can be lived any way desired - filling the mind with cheap imitations of the truth which do not lead to a healthy spiritual life!

The "easy" road to Heaven has gained many people death of eternal separation from God.

The temptations I face daily require a choice.  They require me to stand on the truth of God's Word or go the easy route and give in to the temptation.  Standing on God's Word requires full faith and trust and the end result is a healthier relationship with the Lord.  If the easy route is chosen to just "get by" and take the cheap imitations that are out in our society, my end result is a weak faith and a distant relationship with the Lord.

Being a healthy Christian is HARD.

But, again, doing hard things is what will challenge me, grow me, and help me to be spiritually healthier.  The Lord shows me through His Word that nothing that comes easy brings strength to my spiritual life.  I  cannot trust in my own thoughts or go with temptations of something easier, but I must surrender all things to God and His strength to help.

Spiritual health and physical health go hand-in-hand.  In fact, I am learning that more and more every day. The temptation to eat unhealthy is a battle that I need the Lord to help me overcome - the same as with spiritual temptations.

Just because this is a new year, I have not made unrealistic resolutions to begin anew and when the going gets tough, I get going - the other way.  The Lord is daily teaching me to lean on Him for my spiritual AND physical health.  I have to take one day at a time.  I have to make choices each and every day both physically and spiritually.

I have to constantly be aware that it is hard to do the right thing and make the right choices in all areas of my life.

But in the end, my body will thank me for choosing the foods that will make me healthier - and my spiritual heart will be drawing me closer to my Creator Who made all things that are best for me.

Even when they are hard.

Quiet at Christmas

There is not a lot of quiet at Christmas.

I find the older I get, the more I desire quiet. 

Christmas has become so busy and it continues to increase each year.  The introvert inside of me cries out for slower-paced living.  It desires more of a reflection of what Christmas is about.

There are parties, programs, traditions, and memory-making moments.  These are all wonderful and have their rightful place, but sometimes I wonder is this what Christmas really should be?

Give yourself a few quiet moments and join me as I share my thoughts on quiet at Christmas.

This past weekend we had our candlelight service at our church.  It was a time of learning more about our Lord and Savior, but also time to be still, quiet, and yet worshiping the One who came.

I loved it.  I could have sat there with my little battery-powered candle for longer.  I enjoyed the time of focus being on quiet contemplation before the Lord in a softly lit space without the distractions of the busyness of life.

After a continually busy week, today I am finally able to have a day at home - and for the most part I am all alone.

However, I am not really all alone.  I have the One with me Who did come as a baby so long ago...

Emmanuel - God WITH us.

Do we truly take time to ponder the fact that God is WITH us?  God the Father sent His only Son to earth to redeem us to Himself.

That little baby that Mary held would one day bear the weight of MY sin on the cross of Calvary.

That baby.

Can you imagine what Mary felt as she held the Savior?  She had a lot to endure in her waiting as she was considered an outcast by her people for expecting a child before she was married to Joseph.  She had probably dealt with a lot of ridicule.

Now, here she was - many miles away from home in Bethlehem.  An innkeeper told Joseph and Mary he had no room for them in his inn.  Too much was going on in Bethlehem with the census.  Too much busyness.  How many of us have been just like that innkeeper and not had any room for Christ at Christmas?  How many people have no room for Him at ANY time of the year?

The stable was not the optimal place for a baby to be born - let alone the Savior of the world.  Here the Christ child was born - the One Who left Heaven's throne to become one of us.  Emmanuel.

I have to wonder if the stable was at least a quiet place.  It had to have been away from the hustle and bustle of the middle of Bethlehem.  I have to also wonder if the animals knew that something special and amazing was happening.  Were they more quiet that night?

Mary holds baby Jesus for the first time.  She checks out his hands and feet just as I did when I had my two babies.  Even though she knew Jesus came to save us, did she really understand the pain He would suffer for her sake - for my sake?  Those sweet hands and feet would one day be pierced through and He would hang on a cross to redeem His people from sin.  This Momma is reflecting on how Mary kept all of those things in her heart.

Joseph is in awe of this miracle before Him.  I am sure He felt as any new parent - clueless as to what to do next, but overjoyed at the new life before him.  This new life Joseph was looking down upon would one day bring NEW LIFE to all who believe in what He did on the cross of Calvary - and in His resurrection.  This new life is new every morning in my own life because of my Lord's faithfulness.

Those lowly shepherds - the first to hear of the Savior's birth - were so excited to see him they immediately searched for him.  Mary and Joseph had to have been surprised with these men bumbling their way into the stable.  Jesus, our Shepherd, was visited first by shepherds.  Those shepherds, who watched over sheep, were the first to see the Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world.  They could not wait to tell others of what they had seen.  Am I telling others of what I know of my Savior?

The Wise Men - they were on a journey to find what they had been reading about in Old Testament Scriptures and observing in God's Creation.  They found Him - as they were led to Him by light of Creation.  They presented Him valuable gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  What gifts do I pour out before my Savior each day?  Am I committed to my journey to seek Him with all of my heart?

Simeon in the Temple - He was able to see the Savior.  He knew Jesus would be a light to lighten the Gentiles.  It makes me reflect differently on the lights on my Christmas tree - what a picture of Christ.  He illuminates my heart through His Word so that I may know Him more.  He is the Light in this dark world and I am to follow His example.

Let's not forget that manger in which Jesus was laid.  The Lord has shown me a deeper perspective of that manger this year.  Jesus was laid in a manger made out of rough wood - He was nailed to a cross made from rough wood.  In the humility of His birth He came - and in the cruelty of His death He saved.  And He did it all for you and me that we might "know Him and the power of His resurrection." Philippians 3:10a

Without Christmas there would be no Cross.

Without the Cross there would be no Resurrection.

In each moment of birth, death, and resurrection - there was Quiet. 

Take the time to be Quiet at Christmas before the One Who gave all for you.

".... in quietness and confidence shall be your strength....."  Isaiah 30:15

Praise Him At Midnight

It is Thanksgiving time.

Sometimes it is so easy to list of all of the things for which we are thankful.

We often list the obvious:

• home
• family
• food
• vehicles
• health

The list could go on and on with all of the "things" we have in our lives.  Do not get me wrong - all of those things should definitely cause us to be thankful.

But what about if the Lord doesn't give us certain things?

What if our health fails?

What if things do not work out they way we think?

I have continued to study the book of Philippians in my quiet time with the Lord.  We began this study in Sunday School and the Lord led me to go further in it on my own.

Sometimes when we hear a familiar Bible story, we take for granted all of the little nuggets of God's truth that are in it.

My study in Philippians actually began in Acts 16 with understanding about the city of Philippi and how Paul and Silas ministered there.  I have always loved teaching my students from Acts 16.  It has always been encouraging to me to see how Paul and Silas were imprisoned unfairly and yet they chose to worship the Lord in jail.

As I have studied more closely, the Lord deepened my understanding of just how badly Paul and Silas had been treated.  Not only were they in a horrible jail without true cause, but they had been beaten.  I cannot imagine how they must have felt and how bad the conditions would have been.
However, God's Word records how Paul and Silas chose to praise the Lord and sing to Him at midnight in the darkest prison cell.  While in that cell they were able to share their faith in the dark where others could hear their praise even though they could not see them.

 In Paul's writing in Philippians, he speaks so much about joy.  He writes all of this to the Philippians while being in jail - again.  Philippians 2:13-16a has become a section of Scripture I have been meditating on as of late:

for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 

 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 

holding fast to the word of life, 

Do all things without grumbling or disputing?

ALL things?

Even if the Lord doesn't work things out in the way YOU wanted - and you are walking this life "in the dark"?

Paul could write those words with confidence because he had lived them.  He had seen how the impact of their choice to praise the Lord at a very dark time brought many to Christ in Philippi.  Even  none of the other prisoners left the prison when the Lord sent the earthquake!  I wonder if those prisoners were in awe of Paul and Silas for their true faith and thanksgiving during such a hard time?

Are you praising the Lord in the darkness as Paul and Silas did in that jail cell?

I have been asking myself all of these questions.  As I have pondered God's Word I have begun to see where I need more of the "singing at midnight" and less of my own grumblings.  I must see all things as an opportunity to show praise to the One who works in me for His pleasure.

We all have times of "darkness" in our lives.  There are times we do not understand what the Lord is doing or why He has placed us in a particular situation.  God always has a purpose as He sees what we do not.

When we choose to praise the Lord in the hard "midnight" times of our lives we actually become brighter lights for Him.

This Life I Live

***I have had the hardest time with this post.  I have struggled with putting into words what the Lord has taught me more deeply in the past few weeks.  I also struggled with the formatting.  I am trusting and praying the Lord will still use my feeble attempt for His glory.***

I have photographed these silos a zillion times throughout the years.  No matter the season or time of day - they have always been beautiful to me.

I can remember as a child watching my Daddy and Uncle cut silage and shoot it up into these last-standing monuments of days gone by.

I can remember smelling the silage juice and Mom telling me I had to "wear it off" when I had gotten into it after she told me not to!

I can remember the silage flying out the top as the wind carried some of it when it was being loaded into the silos - and it looked like it was snowing in August.

I can remember trying to climb them - and watching my Daddy climb them as if it were nothing. 

I can remember that we always called the taller one "Daddy" and the smaller one "Momma."

Good memories.  Good life.

Recently, those silos have become old and parts of the metal piping have fallen off.

The cement has cracked.

The re-bar is showing.

It causes sadness in my heart.

The Lord had to give me a deeper perspective in what I thought was my life.

The weekend of baking for the NC State Fair was interesting - we had a hurricane blow through.  Although we did not face what was dealt the coastal regions, we still had a lot of rain and wind.  Many lost power and more.  The Lord graciously allowed us to have power back and resume the baking.

In the evening of the Sunday, when we had almost finished up the baking, we felt/heard something that we knew was not "normal."  I will be honest, my first thought was that my Daddy had fallen again - he and Mom were down with us as we baked so we could share in making memories.  Thankfully, it was not Daddy.

However, whatever it was caused the whole house to shake.

We knew it was probably an issue caused by the hurricane.  We wondered what home nearby was affected.  What we saw when we went outside began to show me more deeply about this life I live.

One of the silos was different.  One of the silos was not right.

It was "Daddy" silo.

As we ran over to check out what had happened, we found that the base of the silo had imploded on itself.  That was what shook the house.  The lower 4-8 feet had crumbled and caused it to fall.  It was still standing, but with a lean.

It would never be the same again.

My heart was crushed as I realized this meant that the silo may have to be torn down.

At that moment - and for some days afterward - I felt as if my life - the farm, my Daddy, the silos, were all crumbling around me.  In fact,  it occurred to me that "Daddy" silo had fallen - and my own Daddy had fallen a year ago - and life really was not the same any longer.

As I had tearful moments because of how sentimental I am, the Lord began to deepen in my heart about this life I live.  

All these things on earth that have been so much a part of my life will pass away, crumble, and fall. What lasts is Who is IN me.

Christ.  

The Lord had actually been working on this in me for some time.  He had given me this verse in a new way a couple of years ago and I have been "chewing" on it ever since:

Galatians 2:20 ~  

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Just like our silo, the Lord is continuing to allow my old self to crumble so that I may realize more and more that I must live my life by faith in the One Who gave His life for me.  

How many times do we put our faith in the things of this world that will one day go away?  These things are temporal, yet we hold on to them as if they give us life.

I was reminded recently through a sermon I heard from my Pastor, that when we find our life in Him we can have:

• Peace with God
• Access to God
• Hope with God
• Christian Character
• God's love within us

There is no way anything on this earth can compare to that growth of faith in the Lord!  

As I have contemplated what the Lord has shown me, He recalled this song to my heart.  I decided to make a video and put it with pictures of the farm. 
For most people, this would not be that special, but for me it is an understanding that I must lay down this life I live in the flesh, and continually trust and follow Christ.

What comfort to know that no matter what may fall away and crumble in this life, Christ lives in those who know Him, and He will never go away.

Chasing Dead Leaves

I have been chasing dead leaves and it took a butterfly to show me.

 

This morning, after a busy, busy few weeks of school, I slept in late and finally had more than a few moments to spend with the Lord.

He led me to just what I needed - and as I was "chewing" over it and contemplating what He was teaching me, my eyes focused on butterflies chasing each other outside my window.  

I was mesmerized by them.  I thought of how freely they were moving and enjoying the beautiful day.  

I decided to get up from my chair and open my front door to watch them more closely.  I made sure I opened the door quietly so as not to scare off any creatures.  

Except, when I opened the door, I saw that they had gone away from just seconds before!  I hate I had missed them!

But then, the Lord drew my eyes closer to our front steps.  There, I found a beautiful yellow butterfly flitting among the pink petunias.  The area was so alive and vibrant!  I decided I needed to capture this beauty so I went for my camera.

A few seconds later I saw those "butterflies" again - but closer this time.  

I realized what I had mistaken as beautiful butterflies chasing each other were actually dead leaves caught up in a mini whirlwind. 

It was then, the Lord began to use the Scripture He had already shown me, with the picture from His Creation before me, to teach me I had been chasing dead leaves instead of butterflies.

Since school has begun, I have been non-stop.  

Such is normal for a school teacher and mother.  It is life.  It is what I always expect this time of year.

However, this year I have felt more stress than before.  I think it has been a combination of things - older kids, more responsibilities with them, my regular students/parents and the normal time of getting to know them, responsibilities of teaching and what that requires, my parents' health not what it once was, my desire to get in 10,000 steps each day.... 

I think you get the picture.  

In all of that, I have felt recently that I didn't even really like MYSELF.  I have felt empty and stretched.  I have felt a bit "dead" - and caught up in the whirlwind of life.

I have had my daily time with the Lord, but I will be honest - it has been reading but not a lot of applying each day.  I am currently reading through the Scriptures in chronological order, and while that is important and I am learning from it, I have found I haven't gotten to STUDY the Scriptures deeply.  Then, when I have had a moment, I have just been too tired to absorb what He wanted to show me.

Until today with my Scripture reading and a butterfly.

He gave me Romans 12:12 today in my study - 

"Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer."

I have lost some of my hope because I was chasing the dead leaves of this life.  I was falling away from patience, and my prayer life had become like the whirlwind - fast and furious.

As I watched that butterfly I saw that it was still busy - but it was busy doing each flower one at a time.  It took what it could from one flower, and moved to the next.  

If you look closely at the picture, you see that the butterfly has had a tough time of it, because one of its wings is damaged.  Yet, it perseveres continuing to do what the Lord designed it to do.

I needed that picture. I needed that image of perseverance.  I needed to realize that my chasing of dead leaves was not beneficial to me or to those around me. 

The Lord didn't ask me to get caught up in the whirlwind.  He asked me to serve Him one flower at a time.

I am going to print out that picture after I put Romans 12:12 on it.  I am going to place it all around me where I can remind myself of this truth from God's Word.

A truth of what the Lord taught me as I chose to get out of the whirlwind and be still before Him:

Rejoice in hope.

Patient in tribulation.

Constant in prayer.

Shaping and Pruning - Yard Work With a Twist

So the family did some yard work at my parents' house this weekend.

We were so glad to help them beautify their yard.  It has been a hard year for them with Daddy's fall over a year ago.

As is normal for me, I had some graceful moments with the rake - and made my Dad laugh - which was a good thing.  All in all, it was an awesome day of working together and seeing the finished product.

We did a lot of pruning.

A LOT.

Poor Steve's arms were so tired after it was done.  We pruned around 40 or so bushes at their house.  Let's just say it was a lot!

I began to "chew" on the pruning as I was leaning on my rake waiting for the next opportunity to have a graceful moment.  We had been trimming off excess growth on most of them as they had just gotten so out of shape.

Then, we came to this group of monstrosity bushes.

These bushes have been around ever since Mom and Daddy added on the sunroom and deck behind it to the house... the late 1970's.

Steve showed Wesley how to shape and trim them to give his arms a break.  Wesley went after those bushes with all his might....and we began to find that those bushes were quite ugly on the inside.  That green foliage on the outside was hiding what was really underneath!

In the picture below you are able to see how the green was really on the top part of the stem while the remainder of the bush was just woody and prickly.

We decided we were going to go drastic - we were going to go beyond pruning and we were going to take them down to the ground!

And that is what we did.  You can see Mikayla was helping get branches that Steve had just cut off.  It was good.  It was a freeing of that area that had become so crowded.  We couldn't believe the difference.

As I was standing there waiting to get in with my rake, I began to turn this pruning adventure into a reminder for myself spiritually.

How many times have I been just like the bushes we were pruning?

I have had times when I just needed a "touch up" of God's Word to get me spiritually looking right again.  There were other times I have needed a few more branches trimmed off the bottom to get me looking less bulky.

But then, there have been the times I needed to be cut down.  I needed a new start.

I began to "chew" on those bushes in the pictures above.  I was amazed at the symbolism I found in our spiritual walk with those bushes.  The Lord taught me much that afternoon.

You see, many times we look like we are growing in the Lord.  There is some new growth and we are pretty big!

However, when God begins to cut to the heart of the matter while He is pruning us and shaping us, sometimes He finds we have gone beyond just the normal pruning needs.

He begins to trim and He finds no green below the surface of our spiritual life.  In fact, one would wonder how the green came to be at all.  For below the green lies prickly, woody stems that within their heart bear no green - no fruit.

Just like those bushes looked big, pride can make us look like we are bigger spiritually than we actually are.  When the green is cut off, we see the prickly, woody portions of our soul and it is filled with anger, bitterness, hardness, callousness.... and I could go on.  We want to grow on our own terms and not in the way God designed.

Those bushes above had to be cut down to the ground.  They needed to start over - they needed to become something they were not - useful.  We then covered them with pine straw to face the winter ahead and are looking to see them come alive again next spring.  It was good.  It was freeing.

Sometimes in our Christian life, the Lord has to cut us down to the ground so that we can grow back healthy and more full of HIS life.

He is the Master Gardener and we must trust Him.  His prunings can be harsh at times, but He covers us with His love and when new life begins - He is there growing us in His likeness and not our own.  It is good.  It is freeing us from ourselves.

Pretty amazing what the Lord can show you about His truth - while doing yard work - with a twist.