Chop Chop

(I found this post I had written some time ago, but not surprisingly, I had not been able to figure out how to post it until I got some refresher instructions from my daughter).
    
     I really detest most yard work, genetically passed on from my dad who hated it with a passion.  There is, however, one activity associated with a yard that gives me much satisfaction.  It is the job of pruning bushes. Living in the lush East, bushes and trees grow quickly and voraciously so pruning must be done frequently and aggressively.  I really love taking those loppers in hand and chopping off the errant branches and small "suckers" which have spontaneously sprouted. There is some immediate gratification as I view all the cut limbs on the ground surrounding a bush with a new haircut.  I love seeing the result of a well-defined bush or tree, although most often the final product won't appear for several weeks.  As a matter of fact, often the freshly cut bush looks rather stark and even funny.  Being driven by production-oriented, tangible goals,  I suppose I enjoy the pruning because I can quickly see the fruits of my labor, for better or for worse. When I exercise patience, and wait for a little time to pass,   the result is even more gratifying.
     For the past few days I have been cutting and chopping to my heart's content in our back yard.  As I have been working, my thoughts have turned to a talk I have read several times called "The Current Bush".  It is an excellent discourse on why God allows adversity to come into our lives.  In the story, a little current bush asks why the caretaker is so aggressive in cutting back his branches. The "Lord" of the House kindly explains that the pain is necessary in order for the further growth and health of the bush. As I have thought about this talk, I have wondered if God feels the same satisfaction when He "prunes"us  as I do as I prune my backyard bushes. He knows that our temporary pain will bring glorious results. Immediately following an aggressive pruning we, too, will sometimes appear bare, vulnerable, and a little beaten down. Before long, however, we will be better than we could have ever imagined.