If you are a friend of mine or you follow me on Facebook you know that I am a big fan of Dr. Henry Cloud. I re-post many of his post. In fact that is one of the reasons this Blog exist. I was re-posting so much from others, many started to say, “We hear a lot of what Henry says but we’d like to hear more of what you say.” So, as the complaints and encouragements started piling up I decided to give it a go. Here is today’s quote from Dr. Henry Cloud:
“What are you spending time and energy on that is keeping you from spending it on what really matters more? Time for pruning.” - Dr. Henry Cloud
Pruning is part of life. Want more fruit in your life, then embrace pruning. When I think of pruning I automatically think of an old man with wrinkled hands and a pair of pruning shears busy at work on his fruit trees; my grandpa. He was always cutting things back, digging around things, replanting, re-potting, and most of all sharing with others. He always had more than enough. There was a child-likeness about my grandfather. Things that some thought a nuisance my grandpa thought was useful needed, worth the effort, good to eat; take the dandelion. He would go to what I consider a great deal of trouble for a mess of dandelions. That means a batch cooked to eat. Oh and a batch means a couple of bowls full.
As a little girl I would go pick a whole handful of those little yellow flowers. I just thought they were beautiful. My mother would fill a glass with water and set my dandelions in the window and tell me how pretty they were. I guess mommies are little like grandpa. What I am saying is when you get older and wiser you understand what’s important and what’s not. You begin to purposely prune your own life so that you can be with those that really matter, and do what’s most important.
Children are great at stopping to smell the flowers, take their shoes off, make friends, stare at a bug, ask questions when they don’t know the answer and be spontaneous. Today while biking on the trail I hoped off for a minute to stretch and watch a man throw a toy into the river for his dog to fetch. Caught up in the moment I didn't notice a little girl came over and handed a dandelion to my friend I was biking with. She was maybe 4 or 5 years old. When I started to strike up a conversation with her she said, “You better hurry and go ride your bike.” Hummm, my friend gets a dandelion from this little cutie and I get a rebuke. I’m sure she had her reasoning but she wasn't going to share it with me. She pruned her time with me quick and off to do what little girls do.
John 15:2 (NIV) “He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”
If you want to be fruitful for God there will be times that you will need to do a little pruning. It may be going through your closet or your house and gathering things to sow into the lives of others. It may be not watching so much TV and instead spending time practicing that instrument, reading the Bible, listening to a CD or simply spending time with family or friends. God is the master gardener and you? You are His garden. Give Him permission today to prune away!
1 CORINTHIANS 3:9 (LB) “9 We are only God's coworkers. You are God's garden, not ours; you are God's building, not ours.”
“What are you spending time and energy on that is keeping you from spending it on what really matters more? Time for pruning.” - Dr. Henry Cloud
Pruning is part of life. Want more fruit in your life, then embrace pruning. When I think of pruning I automatically think of an old man with wrinkled hands and a pair of pruning shears busy at work on his fruit trees; my grandpa. He was always cutting things back, digging around things, replanting, re-potting, and most of all sharing with others. He always had more than enough. There was a child-likeness about my grandfather. Things that some thought a nuisance my grandpa thought was useful needed, worth the effort, good to eat; take the dandelion. He would go to what I consider a great deal of trouble for a mess of dandelions. That means a batch cooked to eat. Oh and a batch means a couple of bowls full.
As a little girl I would go pick a whole handful of those little yellow flowers. I just thought they were beautiful. My mother would fill a glass with water and set my dandelions in the window and tell me how pretty they were. I guess mommies are little like grandpa. What I am saying is when you get older and wiser you understand what’s important and what’s not. You begin to purposely prune your own life so that you can be with those that really matter, and do what’s most important.
Children are great at stopping to smell the flowers, take their shoes off, make friends, stare at a bug, ask questions when they don’t know the answer and be spontaneous. Today while biking on the trail I hoped off for a minute to stretch and watch a man throw a toy into the river for his dog to fetch. Caught up in the moment I didn't notice a little girl came over and handed a dandelion to my friend I was biking with. She was maybe 4 or 5 years old. When I started to strike up a conversation with her she said, “You better hurry and go ride your bike.” Hummm, my friend gets a dandelion from this little cutie and I get a rebuke. I’m sure she had her reasoning but she wasn't going to share it with me. She pruned her time with me quick and off to do what little girls do.
John 15:2 (NIV) “He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”
If you want to be fruitful for God there will be times that you will need to do a little pruning. It may be going through your closet or your house and gathering things to sow into the lives of others. It may be not watching so much TV and instead spending time practicing that instrument, reading the Bible, listening to a CD or simply spending time with family or friends. God is the master gardener and you? You are His garden. Give Him permission today to prune away!
1 CORINTHIANS 3:9 (LB) “9 We are only God's coworkers. You are God's garden, not ours; you are God's building, not ours.”
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