I believe there is a God who’s heart if for Restoration and Redemptive love.  It is no lie that I have been in a major pruning season of my life.  I think God is always working at times to prune us but sometimes there are major seasons of that.  I’ve been really trying to abide and to wait and to listen and to be.  It’s so hard to do when you are a person of task.   The past few weeks have been huge for me. I’ve shed many a tear.  He, like I said is working to restore so many things in my life.  Some things I’ve been begging him to and other things that I really had no idea needed to be restored.  And just like him and “three” times that stuff often happens when you read the bible, He’s done that with me 3 times one right after the other. All with relationships I’ve had with others.  Some from 15 years ago and some just up till this afternoon.  Each of the times have been for different reasons: Where I needed to ask for forgiveness, when someone asked me for forgiveness, and then in the simple words of someone telling me that they just needed me to know that they loved me.

At the beginning of the year Emma came home with a pruned plant from school that attracts butterflies. I have no clue what it was called.  We took it and planted it right away and it died a vicious death.  I felt so bad.  She was so excited about this plant only for me to help kill it.  Then just this past Friday after visit to say good-bye to her teacher we were blessed with a second pruning of the plant. I was thankful and told her teacher the short life of the last one.  This time I was told to sit it in water for a few weeks to let the roots grow before we planted it.  The roots needed to grow before planting so that it can survive.  Good to know!  So now it sits in the kitchen and I see it everyday.  And then it hits me… I’m the stinkin plant! And as the roots are growing I am reminded of my own life process.  The pruning has and continues to  happen but in the midst of it the roots are beginning to grow.  And as they are growing and I must be patient.  And in the midst of being patient He continues to restore so many things.

We are human.  We are people who’s natural state of our hearts are pride.  And we will decide for ourselves if it’s our own way or if we choose to persue peace and show grace and accept grace.  It’s been a constant awareness and effort on my part to put my Hope in what He has already done. There are so many things about the road I travel that I would not have chosen to happen if I was the one in control.  But I’m thankful I’m not and in the midst of not understanding I continue to choose peace and know that His heart is for restoration and blessing and joy.

 I  have no clue when I will  breathe my last but until that happens I pray and hope I will constantly choose to abide and let the gardener have his way with me.  Not sure what life hurdles are hitting you but I hope you awaken to the truth that  He truly is a Good God and wants to do amazing things in our lives and through us if only we will let him.

Just one more step in the journey.  These are some of my awakening moments.  I’d love to hear about some of your sometime!   

And on a sidenote:  The summer is off to a fantastic start.  Camp is on for the Rhodes family.  Dave is doing good and we are too. If my kids do as well for me as they have this stent of time with Dave gone then we are going to have an amazing summer. I’m very thankful for them and our days have been fantastic and fun and I wish you all could see Frankie find his groove.  He’s a true joy and each day is so much easier and pleasant.  To see him trust and share of himself as he is finding his rhythm in our family and to see him love and embrace life with his sisters is priceless!