growth
A bud is coming forth 🌱
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDxaDQ36NqY
To watch & listen to the message, watch the video. ⬆️
To read it yourself, continue below. ⬇️
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 away from our lives, whether it’s a loss or change 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 myself, to be free to grieve the loss, and also know that a cut is part of a pruning process in our Christian walk.
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! 💐 Roses too need pruning to continue to flourish.
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When I realized this connection, I spent time looking for rose pics for my inspiration board on Pinterest. 🌹 As one beautiful rose came up one after another on the Pinterest dashboard, in between came also descriptions of how to do some succesful rose pruning. I learned that rose pruning is defined the following ways:
- 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 being the branches. Like rose pruning, God is at times removing things in our lives that are not necessary: “He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit…”
God also cuts off branches in our lives in order for us to grow better into the future He has prepared for us: “…while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” (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. But, there is so much hope. Because God prunes us the same way a rose is cared for. God makes the cut just above the bud. This 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, a signal of hope and new beginnings. Jesus is our patient pruner who is not scared of seeds, buds, and small beginnings. He is excitingly gardening and landscaping our lives into a beautiful, flourishing salvation garden (James 1:21 MSG), and is with expectation awaiting the nice, new bud to come forth!
After every significant cut, Jesus seals it with glue to speed up the healing, just like roses are treated after a pruning (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 in the pain of the healing process we can take comfort in the fact that Jesus Himself learned obedience 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. 🌹
R.E.S.P.E.C.T. – find out what it means to me. 🎵
This well-known song from Aretha Franklin popped into my head as I thought about being intentional about showing respect for one another in relationships.
Respect is key for maintaining healthy relationships. It is about considering others' feelings and treating people the way we want to be treated ourselves. It applies to the small interactions in everyday life as well as to respecting someone's dreams, desires and needs. Scenarios of disrespect are honestly countless. It can appear everywhere.
In our key relationships I think it takes a bit of exploring to find out how the other person feels respected as it is also captured in the song line: “R.E.S.P.E.C.T – find out what it means to me.” It is in the seemingly insignificant, small moments and details of the hustle and bustle of everyday life we find out how can show our respect or lack thereof.
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When respect is lacking, whether because of busyness, indifference or ignorance, (or another reason) little foxes start creeping in that can hinder our relationship with each other.
Song of Songs describes this perfectly:
“Catch all the foxes, those little foxes, before they ruin the vineyard of love, for the grapevines are blossoming.” (Song of Songs 2,15 ESV)
The Passion Translation commentaries to this verse talks about how these “foxes” are the compromises that are hidden deep in our hearts. These are areas of our lives where we have not yet allowed the victory of Christ to shine into. The foxes keep the fruit of his Spirit from growing within us.
The scripture suggests that an otherwise blossoming relationship (whether with God or man) can be ruined if all these little foxes are allowed to mess with what has been planted of beautiful seeds in our garden of love.
If you have felt the convicting voice of the Holy Spirit about an attitude to confront within yourself towards someone, whether it be a one time event or more of a festered attitude that has crept in, below are a few suggestions that might help you practically take steps towards showing and having respect for someone.
- Ask the person a question every day
A question shows interest and a willingness to hear the person’s point of view. Ask the person a question every day for a few weeks about something you have wondered about in the bible, about cooking, technology or whatever area that person is good at or where you might have shut their voice down previously. The person might shy away from the question the first days if there has been a pattern of you not listening and showing respect beforehand. Just keep asking their help with humility until he/she gains the confidence to step into that area and trust you are listening and respecting their point of view. By doing this, you will empower and encourage the person to gain confidence in what they are good at. Return the favour and ask how you can help them too.
- Give thanks for the differences
It is simple and yet powerful when we start giving thanks in prayer and in person for the different strengths another person has. At first we might give thanks begrudgingly, but with time our view will change and we will start seeing the differences as strength. This is definitely a continual exercise.
- Hope for the future
Whether you have discerned there is someone you need to forgive in your heart, confront in love or work on respecting by asking questions and giving thanks, believe there is hope for the future! There is hope for you! There is hope for you to grow in forgiveness and grace. There is hope for you to grow in asking and listening as a way of showing respect. There is hope for you to be thankful in all things. There is hope for you to discern what is the right application for your situation.
I believe in you, so does Jesus!
Love,
Sandra.
(To clarify: When talking about respect, I am not talking about empowering bad or sinful behavior. In those cases I believe respect looks like either confronting the truth of the hurtful behaviour wrapped in love, or it is to bear over and forgive. Sometimes we will need outside help from a trusted pastor, mentor or counselor to do this. We might not get it right every time, but I believe we can grow in dealing with these cases in a healthy way by God’s grace.)
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