Pruning our Orchard

There was an old orchard that was prized by its owner. The time for pruning had come and the worker set out with the owner to care for the trees.

The owner went first to his prized tree. It had always brought good fruit. He was worried as he approached the tree and he could see that time was waring on the branches. With the servant he inspected the tree and found many places where limbs were broken and overgrown. Disease was setting into portions of the tree. The owner was deeply saddened and concerned for the tree and the fruit that it had always provided.

Seeing that work must be done to the old tree, the owner and the servant went about the careful and exact process of pruning. Broken limbs were carefully cut away, smaller shoots trimmed off. In areas of the tree where disease had settled in, care was taken to apply the correct medicine. In some places, stronger branches from other trees were grafted in to strengthen the old tree. Lovingly and carefully, the owner and the servant worked to bring the mighty tree into a healthy and useful state.

When the work was done and the summer came, the servant tended to the tree. Grafts were checked and strengthened. New unwanted shoots were trimmed away before they could weaken the whole. Water was given and food provided to the roots. The blossoms that season were few, but the tree was strong and its core had been saved by the trimming and grafting.

We like the tree, are constantly growing. New shoots of belief spring up each season. Old limbs of behavior become weak from over use. Disease sets in and cancers our core. As the "owner" of this tree, we are the ones who employ the servant to assist us in the "pruning" of our life. Old beliefs are strengthened. Some are pruned away as having no value for us today. Other beliefs are brought in and "grafted" to the core of the tree. These new beliefs will take time to bare fruit, but after a season of nurturing will bring the desired fruit. It is in this season of pruning that we define who we will become in the coming time of harvest. It is vital for our health and strength that we prune wisely. Aggressive cutting away leaves the root weakened. We falter without the nourishment of the branches and the leaves. Being unwilling to prune away areas that have not yielded fruit or carry diseased thoughts and attitudes, will also weaken the whole.

Spring is a time of regrowth and wakening in the world around us. It is a great time to prune our own orchard.