Stem
"a primary plant axis that develops buds and shoots instead of roots"
A plant does not bear fruit without its stem. -Matshana Dhliwayo
I recently deadheaded all of my rose bushes. They blossomed magnificently and then, just in time for us to have a bunch of people over, the blooms fell and we were left with large, very healthy but very empty bushes lining our front walk. In an attempt to coax more blooms out of the bushes, and to start taking care of them instead of just letting them grow as they will, I went around, carefully trimming off the spent flowers. Logically, I know that this will encourage the bushes to flower again and that I look like a productive member of society while standing in my front lawn, pruning away. But, as I’ve written about before, I also know that this is one of the many tasks in my job description as steward of my home; pruning and deadheading my rose bushes is one of the many ways that I nurture my garden and do my job well.1
As I’ve been thinking about (and then doing this task), I’ve been pondering the stems in my life, the buds and blossoms that are nearing the end of their time and need to be removed to make room for more buds to grow. About which stems are healthy and which lead to unhealthy leaves; which are fruitful and which are not. I’ve written here about seasons as well, how there is a near-constant rotation, how time moves on and brings with it new experiences and takes away others. (Rather, time gives one the opportunity to die to self and move on from the comfort and routine with courage.) I think these metaphors go hand in hand; it is sad sometimes to take the shears to the rose buds and remove them, but it is also necessary for the continued beauty of the bush. It is hard to set aside old and/or known routines for the new and/or unknown ones, but it is necessary for growth. It is challenging to listen to God’s call and follow where He is guiding you, but it is necessary to step even more fully into His plan.
Surrender is something I, historically, struggle with. I like to have a plan and a goal that I can work toward; the unknown of the future makes that difficult.2 I would love to be able to wave a magic wand and presto-bingo away the struggle, but I know that’s against the point. A friend of mine said recently that “easy won’t get one to heaven” and, as much as I’d like to, I can’t disagree. We are called towards the struggle, called to embrace the cross, to more fully journey to heaven. And there is all the more challenge in that calling. But there’s so much beauty in it too.
Without the surrender to God’s will in my own life, I probably would not have gone to grad school, or come back home, or reconnected with The Husband. I would not be living the life I have now, with all its joys and peace. I would not have lived fully half of the moments that have helped to form me into the person I am today; I can only imagine who I would have become. Beyond God’s will though, even in relationships with other humans, surrender is necessary and so difficult but even more fruitful. If I had not surrendered to The Husband’s plan to pursue me, if I had not trusted that he had a plan at all and that that plan was made with my best interest in mind,3 we might not be married now. All in all, the more that I try to grasp control of what is happening, the more miserable I become and, despite my desire for that control, I have to believe and admit that life is more fun when there is joy to be had.
It’s a kind of circular train of thought, one that loops back over itself several times, but I’ve taken the thought all the way through multiple times and come to the same conclusion. We humans are made for peace and for joy and relinquishing any control is the most straightforward way to achieve that in my own life.
The Sisters of Life wrote a Litany of Trust4 that I have found particularly helpful in growing in surrender to the Lord’s will. I’m trying to reach for it more frequently, especially when I’m a nervous wreck about some unknown of the future. Or having trouble believing that God’s goodness abounds above all. Or, you know, any normal Tuesday. May it be just as helpful for you, dear reader, as it has been and continues to be for me. May He help teach us to trust Him.
Until next time.
That Your plan is better than anything else.
Jesus, I trust in You.It’s been three days since I took up my shears and I’ve already seen so much new growth, I have to admit that it’s far more promising that they will bloom again than if I had not deadheaded them.
the understatement of the century
from what type of date would I want to go on all the way to how to pursue me well from a long-distance, with open communication and all the right priorities.
https://sistersoflife.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Mobile-Litany-of-Trust-English-1.pdf