Monday's Marriage Moment -- The Trees Are Showing Us How Beautiful Change Can Be!

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 
John 15:1-2

Just because something has always been this way doesn't mean it always has to be this way. I know we have regimens, traditions, and habits, but change is good. Just look at the trees. Each year, they show us how beautiful it is to change seasons. Each year, they realize there are times they must let things go in order to grow stronger and flourish.

I walked into work this morning through a field of leaves. They were brown and brittle, and they covered the ground. I began to wonder why leaves must fall. Why can't trees just stay green all year long? I literally came into my office and began to research. I found out something quite interesting. Leaves don't fall off. The trees push them off. Yep, I thought the wind caused them to simply fall. That's why we have named the season "fall", right? 

When the days get shorter, and the temperature drops trees cut their own leaves off -- literally. They produce cells called "abscission" cells. The root for abscission literally means to cut off. These cells create a boundary that cause the trees to slowly push the leaves away from the stem. You see this happening when the leaves change color. It's beautiful to see, but what we are watching is the process of cutting. The tree begins to prune itself. Why? Because if it kept the leaves, it would die. The leaves hold water, and that water would freeze during the winter. This would cause not just the leaves to die, but the entire tree.

So, Dear Wife/Dear Husband, it is time for you to prune your own life. Don't wait for the winds of adversity to force things off of you. Decide now that you have it in you to cut things back. You have it in you to trim away. Are you misusing your time? Prune it! Are you carelessly using your words? Prune them? Are your friendships crossing barriers? Cut them back! It is in your power to take your relationship to the next level, but there may be areas that you have to cut off.

In the spring we see the benefits of this process - beautiful foliage, breathtaking blossoms, and fragrant bouquets, but there must be a cutting away first. My prayer is that you will develop spiritual "abscission cells" and the strength needed to push off anything God shows you needs to go!