Have you ever had a melt-down? Like a shaking ugly kind of meltdown? Where it’s all flowing – snot, tears and of course the loud sobbing? It’s definitely not the glamorous moments of life I am talking about here. I’ve had a few lately I must confess, and my behaviour started to worry me. Why am I breaking down like this? Am I a crazy person? Taking on too much? Processing too little? Not able to adapt to changes? What’s going on?
The questions were valid and necessary but brought to calm this morning when there came a turnaround in my perspective. Through reading a book, the Holy Spirit reassured me how okay it is to grieve and mourn. It was the exact permission I needed to just let the sadness flow. Feel it and grieve it to then release it.
It is okay to cry out like David: “I’m hurt and in pain; Give me space for healing, and mountain air.” Psalm 69,29 MSG ⛰
Mourning is not only for people who have lost loved ones. It is also for the ones of us who have experienced death of a friendship, death of a season, or death of an expectation. Disappointment in ourselves, in others or a dream is a real pain and it demands to be felt and mourned. As Jesus followers, to experience death is actually necessary for new life, the life of Jesus, to spring up in greater ways in our lives.
For me, this reminder gave me freedom to grieve. When something is cut, whether it’s something life throws at us or something we voluntarily give up, it hurts. Even when we ourselves know it’s time and right for something to be cut away because it has been good this far but will not be sustainable for where we are going in the future, it’s hard because we might not know the new provision that’s coming for us. The cutting of a __________ (relationship, ministry, dream etc…..fill in the gap) leaves just that – a gap.
Therefore, with this post, I want to encourage you as I was encouraged to be free to grieve the loss, and also know that a cut is part of a pruning process in our Christian walk – just as it is for roses to continually flourish!
The likeness of our inner lives being pruned as Christians and the pruning of beautiful, yummy-smelling roses, like the ones in the top of this post, is actually astounding! 💐
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When I realized this connection, I spent time looking for rose pics for my inspiration board on Pinterest, as you do 🙂 On a sidenote though, for those who don’t use Pinterest, my friends can testify that it seriously changed my life and helped me process and put images and words to my experiences, but we can continue that fun conversation another time, ha! You can check it out at: https://dk.pinterest.com/sandrahulten/ and even get started there yourself! 🌹
Back on track – as one beautiful rose after another came up on my Pinterest dashboard, in between came descriptions of how to do some succesful rose pruning. I learned that pruning is defined this way:
- To reduce something by removing things that are not necessary.
- To cut off branches from a tree, bush, or plant, especially so that it will grow better in the future.
- A proper pruning cut is made just above a growth bud ✂️
- Seal every significant cut with glue to speed the healing of the cut.
This definition reminded me of the pruning truth John 15 speaks about in the context of Jesus being the vine and us the branches:
“He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit…”
In the same way, God is at times removing things in our lives that are not necessary (Rose pruning point nr.1)
It continues: 🌿
“…while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful”
God cuts branches in our lives in order for us to grow better into the future He has prepared for us. (Rose pruning point nr. 2)
I know it can feel like a shock when we are cut from every side in a time where we have just gotten used to an extent of flourishing in life. What I love is how God works just like rose pruning point nr. 3 – He makes the cut just above the bud. It means that while it may seem like we are left empty handed in the cutting, we never are. He has already given us a bud and He is not scared of small beginnings. He is patiently waiting for the nice, new bud to come forth!
After every significant cut, we need to seal it with glue to speed up the healing. (rose pruning point nr.4) Jesus is our glue; he holds us together and in His presence we are healed when life takes us unexpected places. Jesus redirects our growth, He is our Healer and He learned obedience Himself by the things which he suffered. Hebrews 5,8 NIV
Let’s trust His heart when something is cut off from our lives. God cuts just above the bud so that the new and better will spring forth! He is giving us a new assignment and redirecting our growth. The cut is a promise of a launch into a new season of effectiveness, influence and fruit, which is exciting.
Trust it’s a nice bud coming! He has got you. 🌹
