Pruned

By Linda Reed

A Master Gardener, an older kindly gentleman, came to prune our apple tree in early March. He didn’t seem to know there was a coronavirus – he whistled while he worked.   

He mentioned advice from a professional apple grower: “Don’t feel sorry for the tree.”

And so he whacked deeply. What had been a twenty-foot tree is now reachable with our hands.  It’s now simply nine bare branches.   

Every now and then as he cut deeply, he patted the tree. A tree whisperer.   

As I watched from my window, safely socially distanced, I resonated with the tree. What had been days of courses, teaching ESL, travel plans, and workouts, all now lay on the ground.    

The Master Gardener had pruned deeply. He whispered: “Every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.” (John 15:1-2).

Now, there is time to “be still and know God.” My own soul has returned to a closer walk with God. His joy is being made full (John 15:11). 

Our apple tree also has new growth. The garden is springing to life from seeds planted. Our ESL classes, which pivoted to a Zoom Pro platform, now have more students than ever before.  We have greater opportunities to plant “seeds” outside our former public square. We’ve shared more laughter, and more tears. Like Paul says, we’ve realized a “fond  affection for [them], [and] were well-pleased to impart … not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because [they] had become very dear to us.” (I Thess 2:8).       

The SOCEM discussion guides are now paired with a Scripture passage, and emailed out  prior to “class,” becoming paperless! The Zoom breakout rooms allow Heritage College students to gain practicum experience, and a few have now found online ESL teaching jobs.    

Since this is now globally accessible, we have students coming to “class” from abroad. Who would have imagined we would be turning away students? Fruit is growing, and lives are changing.      

Yes, a Master Gardener, our kindly heavenly Father, pruned our lives this spring. It’s true: “Don’t feel sorry for the tree. It will bear more fruit.”