Prune.
Today Nate Hall and I pruned the trumpet vine that grows against the side of our garage. It has beautiful peach-colored flowers which pollinators love, but it had gotten quite shaggy and there was some deadwood on the underside.
The vine was also overshadowed a climbing rose that lives next to it. We wanted to give the rose more light and air.
As we began to prune, it became apparent that there was much more deadwood than we thought. We also discovered that a goodly portion of what we thought was the top of the trumpet vine was actually the climbing rose reaching for light.
Both the trumpet vine and climbing rose ended up with significant haircuts. We believe this will allow both to grow next year in a healthier way.
As Nate bundled up the large pile of trimmings, it struck me that this is much like our lives. We go along letting established things grow without thinking about how they may impact other aspects of our lives.
Over time, they may overshadow positive opportunities or consume and outsized portion of our personal energy and attention. We may need to step back into an observer stance to understand the dynamics of what we allow to grow in our lives.
Today’s message invites me to consider pruning back habits, thought patterns, and possessions that don’t support my well-being. I may not need to eliminate them, but I may wish to ensure they’re in proportion to their intrinsic value. This will allow me more time and space for what I truly desire.
Please reflect and share. What might you prune in your life? And how might that free you to have more of what you want?