The gardener of my soul

Back then the drive way was lined with fruit trees. There were apple trees, peach trees and pear trees. There was so much fruit that sometimes the branches would bend down almost to the ground. So much fruit but the fruit was small, hard and tasteless.

The reason the trees weren't being pruned was because I had small children at the time. It was a season in my life where I also had a great amount of energy and I was busy doing many projects. I was teaching several Bible studies. I had even been invited to speak at some conferences.

I remember very clearly when it began, the pruning. I was at a national convention. The speaker told us to find a quite place and to listen to God. I found my quiet place settled down and was disturbed by what I heard. I felt like God was telling me He was going to retire me from my many activities.

The pruning began on my home. Several of us were traveling together. The women began to talk about restructuring the class I taught. The was very humbling because it no longer had me as the teacher. Snip, snip went the pruning shears.

Next came a class I had been teaching for ten years. For the first time since I had been teaching it no one signed up to take it! Snip, Snip. One by one the classes I taught were eliminated until the only class left was my children. That was when I decided to home school them.

I poured out on my children all my energy all my creativity. Morning by morning I shared with them the treasures I found. They didn't necessarily always appreciate this. I caught them rolling their eyes at times. But what a privilege to watch them grow and mature.

I am in a different season of life now. I no longer have boundless energy. I can no longer do several project simultaneously. I no longer have my children living at home.

Dear Heavenly Father, You who are the gardener of my soul. Thank you for pruning me so that the fruit of my life will have more quality than quantity.