By Maureen Buckingham

One of the trees in our back yard was an interesting looking tree that I noticed many people had. They were in such a variety of sizes and shapes due to people’s preference when trimming them. We couldn’t believe the growth of the branches as the tree started to spread out over the flower bed and yard. We decided we needed to keep it trimmed up so it looked nice and stayed in place.

Our neighbors had one as well and they told Mike to trim our tree right back in the fall so it wouldn’t be so big next year.

One day we saw the neighbor out trimming his tree for the fall and he left it still looking nice but it was cut back quite a bit. I wasn’t home when Mike decided to get ours ready for winter….I came into the house and sat down on the couch by the patio doors and looked out into the back yard to see how things were. There in the flower bed was a bare piece of wood, trunk, sticking up all alone in the flower bed. “What did you do to our tree?!” I couldn’t believe there was almost nothing left. “You might have killed it!”

Mike reassured me that he did not kill it. He just wanted the new growth to be more contained in the spring.

I’ll be honest, I looked out at that stump many times over the winter thinking the tree was dead. As spring came, all the other plants started up again. The tulips bloomed and everything came to life. But there was that stump. It was the only thing that didn’t seem to be responding to spring. Once again I mentioned “killed it”. So Mike went out, with his glasses on, and took a close look at the tree however he said nothing when he came back in.

About a week later he did it again. This time he seemed pleased. “Go look. There are tiny little spots of green coming up”. “Sure” I said doubtingly. However, I decided to go take a look and he was right. Life was coming back. Today the tree really is more fitting for the yard and next year will look even better with no dead or unproductive branches.

God knows what he is doing when he prunes in our lives.

Here are some natural benefits to pruning a tree that speak to us about God’s pruning in our lives:

• Removes dead parts from the tree and prevents decay and disease
• Improves how it looks and fits in the landscape
• Helps the root system
• Produces bigger fruit and eventually more fruit
• Allows more sunlight and air circulation to the whole tree and surrounding area which improves overall health
• Improves the structure and keeps it from producing weak branches

John 15:2 KJV Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

Our tree isn’t as full as it was but the old is gone with new life coming forth that is healthy and fresh. It will now compliment the whole garden not take over the place, moisture and sunlight of other wanted plants.