Magnolia Trees and Life
Our family spent part of last weekend trimming the Magnolia tree. What a job! It has to be done every 6-7 years to keep it off the roof and out of the neighbor’s yard. Matter of fact, the tree is big enough now to span all the way to our neighbor’s roof if we’re not careful. But it’s a beautiful tree that is gorgeous in the spring when it blossoms and it provides wonderful shade in the summer time. I love the Magnolia.
As we were trimming the tall branches and then separating out the wood for firewood or mulch, it gave me time to think about what I’ve been learning in the book of James about faith. Faith without works is dead and works without faith is no better. So much of that has to do with trimming and pruning our lives to conform to Jesus. God gave me a few insights that day.
Trim the branches of our life before the leaves and/or fruit come out. It takes so much more work to trim after the leaves and blossoms present themselves. The branches are heavier and it’s harder to haul away the debris. It’s like that in life. Once we let something come into full being, it’s harder to get rid of it. So, I need to trim out things that don’t move me toward Jesus before I get too attached.
Tree branches can be useful when cut. We use the bigger pieces for firewood and then mulch the rest for the garden. It reminds me that God can bring good even out of our trimmings.
Pruning has to be done regularly. The Magnolia tree needs trimmed every 6-7 years, but others like our cherry tree need it yearly. If we miss the designated time it become harder to handle the next year and we can’t reach the fruit it bears. I need to keep evaluating and pruning my life on a regular basis.
I want my faith to be real and my works to reflect this faith. I hope you do, too.
Happy Trimming,
Beth