Just recently I had to cut back my wild rose bush as I do every summer after the blooming roses have died. A part of me is sad as I cut the limbs off of what used to be a beautiful blooming bush, yet at the same time I realize what’s in store for the following spring. Every May this bush seems to produce more and more gorgeous wild red roses (to the extent that neighbors walking by comment on how many roses there are on the bush!)
This led me to reflect on how necessary it is for the self to be pruned and sometimes cut down in order to let God fill us with what is His will and not our own.
As I listened to the Gospel of Matthew (13:1-23) a couple Sundays ago at Mass, I realized that we are called to be the rich soil that God needs His word to fall upon. We must listen AND understand His word in order to bear fruit and be witnesses.
Sometimes our own thoughts and interpretations can get in the way of a true understanding of God’s word. This is when we need a little more pruning. I have had this experience quite a few times in my life and every time it happens I have to remind myself that God is using me in His garden of life in His own special way, not on my terms.
Although I am not rejoicing at the thought of being cut down at the moment it’s happening, I always know it is for a purpose. Everything comes full circle as long as we let God be the gardener, the one in charge. We will bear fruit after every trial just like I know my beautiful red roses will bloom every spring, especially if they’ve been pruned!
Photo credit: Diana rose by Cho Young Kwan
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