I have the most beautiful Botanica standard roses in our front garden.  The flowers are a soft pink colour which suits me well as I’m a pink girl.  For the past few weeks every person that has pulled up out the front has commented on them.  Here is Australia we’re heading into summer and we’ve had some extremely hot weather in the past week.  Combine that with some harsh winds and my poor roses have had to withstand a bit of a battering in recent times.  They’ve survived remarkably well, especially considering how long it has been since they’ve been watered (we have very limited supplies of water here so giving them a drink isn’t always an option).

Yesterday was a little cooler so I was taking the opportunity to spend some time in the garden and I decided to give them a mini prune.  A lot of the blooms were finished so I cut them back quite considerably.  I thought that might be the kind thing to do as it would give the plant a lot less foliage to have to keep alive in the harsh conditions.  Often a reasonable cut back will give a plant a whole new lease of life.

As I cut, I could almost hear the plants groaning (no I’m not hearing “little voices” lol).  “We’ve battled against so many rough days and now you’re CUTTING us?  Haven’t we been through enough?”  I felt almost cruel as I snipped away and yet I continued because I had a specific purpose in mind.  I knew that the end result would be best for the plant.

What struck me as I continued my snipping was how similar this has been to my own life.  I feel like I have had to struggle against many heavy winds and scorching conditions throughout my childhood and adolescent years.  Just when I thought I was free of those struggles, I married into a situation that brought with it a whole new set of struggles and frustrations.  After a lot of heartache and prayer, my DH and I managed to free ourselves from that only to find me falling in a useless heap.

It almost didn’t seem fair to have spent 30 years fighting so hard for survival, only to fall in a heap when it seemed I’d finally gotten to the place where I could bloom.  But the master gardener had a plan and over the past year he has been gently working on pruning away the dead flowers, leaves and branches in my life.

Getting rid of all that stuff hurts.  It really hurts.  In all honesty I really wish I could skip that part and move straight to the “healed and whole” bit.  But I have to work on trusting that the Master Gardener knows what He is doing as we move through this process together.

 Last night it rained.  I suspect that before too long my roses will send out a whole host of fresh buds, ready to bloom into a glorious display of beauty and colour.  My prayer is that one day I may be able to do the same.

Dear Lord, I thank you that you truly know what is best for me.  Thank you that you are with me through the hard times and the good times.  Give me the courage to withstand the pruning that you need to do in my life and my heart.  I pray that one day that pruning will result in a beauty and wonder beyond anything I can imagine.  That people will see me and know that you truly are the Master Gardener.  Amen.