When Your Way Isn't WorkingSample

Wait and See - Day 4

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.” (John 15:1)

There were a number of cinematic classics to come out of the ‘80s that you might remember. There was, of course, the Goonies, Princess Bride was a big one, and obviously, The Never Ending Story would qualify here. There’s one more that I’m thinking of. Can you guess it? Yeah. It is the Karate Kid and there’s a scene in the movie where Miyagi is teaching Daniel about trimming a bonsai tree. It’s a scene that actually almost got cut. He’s explaining to Daniel that when someone is pruning a bonsai tree, they have a picture in their head of what it will eventually look like.

Cutting the tree doesn’t actually hurt the value of the tree. You think it might if it’s cutting it back, but actually in the hands of the right gardener, a bonsai tree can be incredibly valuable. I read online of a bonsai tree that sold for $1.3 million.

It’s because it’s considered a work of art. It’s different than a normal piece of art because it’s a living art. It requires constant pruning. Constant nourishing. And Miyagi explains to Daniel that when a gardener is pruning, he’s pruning with a picture in his head. It’s not arbitrary or haphazard, it’s intentional. And really the question becomes, do you trust the picture? Do you trust the gardener who has the shears, that he’s going to make it beautiful, that he’s going to make it grow, that it is going to be better when he’s done with it than it was before he started? In John 15, Jesus talks to us about how we respond when our way isn’t working. When it’s not working, it’s a time for us to embrace the pruning God wants to do in our lives. Jesus says this in verse one, to his followers, “I am the true vine and my father is the gardener.”

In other words, pruning is God’s job. He is the one who holds the pruning shearers in his hands. He is the one who prunes. And when he prunes, he prunes with a purpose. He has a picture in his mind of what he wants you to look like. He wants you to look more and more like Jesus.

So when your way isn’t working, understand that maybe you’re in a season of pruning, a time of cutting back even though it might be hard so that you can be healthy so that you can grow. A few things to remember if that’s the season that you find yourself in, first, remember that pruning feels painful, but it isn’t punishment. It’s not punishment when the gardener pulls out the snips and decides to cut back some of the branch. The act of cutting though is something that feels violent, feels hard. When something that is part of us is suddenly removed from us, it can be really hurtful and the tendency is to think that the pain is punishment from God, but instead it shows that he cares. There are a few different kinds of branches that God, our good gardener will prune. One would be the dead and diseased branches.

If this is a season of pruning for you, you just need to hear, wait, and see. I know it seems that the breakup is devastating, but wait and see. I know it feels like losing the job is the worst thing that could happen right now, but wait and see. Right? I know it seems that your health concerns and challenges are overwhelming, but wait, wait and see. I know it feels like some of what’s happening around you or in the world feels unredeemable. But wait and see. I know it might not make sense right now, but wait and see what God has in mind.

Prayer

Father God, thank You for having a plan for my life. May I realize the times You are pruning me for Your purposes. I long to be all that You want me to be.