So, one day a couple weeks ago when I was struggling with what to do with my own pile of frustration I took a little hand saw and started sawing away at the base of those vines. I'm not sure what I hoped to accomplish, but this morning looking out my kitchen window I noticed those dead vines hanging from its branches and those scars along it's trunk and I'll be honest there was some satisfaction.

This verse has been laying heavy on my heart lately:

Sometimes we let the wrong vines grow in our own lives. We keep growing, but we don't realize our growth is stunted. Our Father in Heaven does and much like me seeing this tree from my kitchen window, He sees you. Regardless of what is going on around you, He sees you. He loves you and so He goes out and clears away what is not bearing fruit in you. Why? Because He knows your potential. He knows your purpose. He knows what you can do without those vines.

Some of you might look at those scars left by those vines on my tree and say they're ugly, but as I'm looking at this tree I can't help but hear that there is beauty in the scars. However, if you're like me, it's hard to hear that about your own scars. It's hard to hear about the beauty beyond the hurt of what caused your own scars. I'll tell you what I keep telling myself you're now free to grow. To flourish. To bloom. You survived. Those scars are your testimony. They are part of your love story between a Heavenly Father and a beloved child, He will never stop pursuing (pruning) you.