Pruning and Reviewing

"Lord, I would place my hand in Thine,
Nor ever murmur nor repine;
Content, whatever lot I see,
Since ’tis my God that leadeth me."
(lyrics from 'He Leadeth Me' by Joseph H Gilmore)

I've had the privilege to sit back and take stock of my life lately. I've needed to carve out some time in my schedule, so I've had to savagely cut back on my commitments to enable me to do so, but I've now managed to 'ring-fence' off some precious 'me-time' to enable me to do so.

And I've asked myself - and my Lord - some pretty hard questions.

• When I first set out on my Christian walk those many years ago, did I ever think it would work out quite like this?
• And at that particular starting point, would I have ever had dreamt that I would do some of the exciting things that I have done?
• Am I truly content with where I am at the moment? (see above)
• Am I truly willing to allow more severe 'pruning' to allow me to grow further? Can I withstand the pain? 
• How do I resolve the contradictions - a strong sense of wanting to take a particular path, yet the appearance of a solid brick wall preventing me from taking it (note: at the moment...)
• So, what now?

This review is a work in progress.

Pruned!

Last Sunday was our Harvest Festival, and during the course of the meeting there was a lot of talk about fruit (but of course!). As Christians we are supposed to produce fruit - John 15:8 NIV: "This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."

It struck me following that meeting that a lot of what has been going on in my life could well be described as 'pruning' - removal of the dead branches and leaves, so that what is left can be more fruitful. I'm increasingly encouraged to take the opportunity to embrace my future and step further into my relationship with God, ever conscious of the fact this will take me further from my own comfort zone. Perhaps I need to let God 'prune' me!

Hosea 6: 1-3

1 "Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds.

2 After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence.

3 Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth."