Emily Howard, Writer

Are there any gardeners in the audience? How about people who love rose bushes? And how about people who like pruning rose bushes?

You can’t see me, but I am not raising my hand.

We moved into a new house two months ago, and now that the weather has warmed up, I am finally tackling the plants in our front yard. Now, those who know me know that I am NOT a gardener. I do try. It’s just not a gift that God gave me. I kill plants. But today it is my job to tame the wild rose bushes that are encroaching on our front porch.

The trimming part was not bad. There is something satisfying about the snip-snip-snip sound. Plus, my husband was here to help me with that part.

But now, I am faced with huge piles of thorny evil that I have to somehow remove from our front lawn before someone gets seriously hurt. I put long sleeves and gloves on and went to work getting it all into trash bags.

Y’all, it’s awful. The branches are unwieldy and just will not go into the bag without tearing it. The thorns poke me even through my sleeves and gloves. I have to keep cutting and pruning the branches until they are small enough to fit into the bag. And the whole time I am doing it, I am thinking to myself, “Who on earth would love rose bushes?? Why do people plant these? They are thorny and evil and stupid and they don’t care that they are hurting me. They are not doing what they should be doing.”

Ah, but then. Revelation.

I am that rose bush. You are that rose bush. We can be thorny and stupid and evil and we sure don’t do what we are supposed to be doing. Yet the Lord patiently and lovingly–and I am sure without angry and snarky commentary–shapes and prunes us, cutting off the dead branches so that…guess what.

So that we can bloom.

And we don’t appreciate it. Anyone here enjoy pruning (on the giving OR receiving end)? I didn’t think so. But in a few weeks, those ungrateful bushes are going to look just lovely.

And so, my friends, will you.