***
I’m not much of a gardener, but I do know this: There are two types of branches – those that bear fruit and those that do not. You might say those branches that give us life versus those that take it.
We’ve all seen withering branches. They’re dark, limp, and slow to die. Yet even as they wither they demand energy from the vine.
I find that a fascinating truth – withering branches take energy to die.
That’s why a gardener’s eye is trained to look for them, because they sap energy from the vine without giving anything back.
The healthiest plants, then, are the ones that have been pruned.
***
In the Gospel, Jesus says, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit.”
God wants to remove all those withering branches from our lives – those areas that drain us, that enervate our lives.
Think of a grudge, for example. Such anger saps our energy – and yet how hard it is to let it go!
This is why the Lord must do the pruning. He has the power to remove the negative energy we cling to, even nurse.
It may be painful – and certainly humbling – but if we open our hearts to Jesus, he’ll only make us happier and healthier in the end.