We recently visited De Leon Springs state park in Florida. It was a beautiful setting with a natural spring and many huge old trees filled with moss. It was relaxing to take a walk through the trees, see the wild azaleas in bloom, and just sit on a bench and soak in the sunshine.
Unfortunately, you weren’t in Florida with me, but hopefully you can relate by the picture of the trees covered with moss. How are your branches? Do you feel as if they are bending down under a heavy load of moss?
Before I left Ohio, I felt like the tree in the picture. My branches were bending under a heavy load. Nothing specific, just everyday life and busyness. Fortunately, some R&R and sunshine has restored my body and I feel like some of the moss has been removed. Thankfully the Son-shine has also renewed my soul this past week.
We can either prune our branches or God will do it for us! What I mean is, where are your priorities. Is Jesus part of your day-to-day routine? We can either slow down our lives and walk with Him, or He will slow us down in ways we may not appreciate or understand when it happens.
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. (John 15:2).
My vacation was an opportunity to slow down and trim my own branches, so to speak. I took time to read a great Christian book which boosted my faith. I did a little proofreading of my own devotionals. I slowed my thoughts to include Jesus on future life and publishing decisions. All of these are ways in which I pruned my own branches. I chose to cut my own branches rather than forging ahead blind and crazy, before Jesus trimmed my branches.
Life is busy and it is easy to get buried under a load of moss just like the limbs on the trees. That leaves us with two options:
- 1. Keep piling on the moss until we go crazy and Jesus trims our branches.
- 2. Slow down our crazy lives and remember Jesus words, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7).
Don’t go Blooming Crazy before you unload the moss from your branches, instead find peace and rest with Jesus. Take time to bask in the Son-shine daily and renew your soul!
