Where Is Your Life Going? - A Devotional

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. - John 15:5 

When I’m out on a walk, I’m so sad to see multiple dead blooms covering most of a rose bush.  

You would be surprised if you pay attention the next time you’re on a walk, how often these shriveled remains actually account for the greater part of the rose bush, with only a few bright blossoms. This is, of course, because they have not been deadheaded. 

I remember a road trip where  I made it my gosl to try and deadhead every rose bush at a rest stop-when I was about 45 minutes in my husband said “umm, do you think that’s enough?” 

No, not enough! OK, so maybe that’s the perfectionist in me talking:)   I know life is busy, my garden gets neglected too.

The very magic of a rose bush is that it will bloom and bloom, as long as we tend to it—a simple snap of the end of that dead bloom and a new blossom will be on its way within days. Life is screaming up through the ground into the ends of those stems, wanting to create a new life, a tiny bud that will unfold into a gorgeous symphony of color— instead, it hits a dead end.

I think that’s  me- that’s us. We have all this potential throughout our lives to keep blooming, to keep bringing forth new gifts, and offerings to God—What gets in the way? We commit to things that are dead. We keep pursuing paths that will not bring us any life or joy, and sometimes there is a difficult process of removing the block that is keeping us from experiencing the beautiful life God has for us.

Many of us hate confrontation but sometimes that is exactly what is required in order for us to move on to something life-giving.

Where is all that energy and potential God has given us going? 

Are we turning to God for the wisdom to know what paths to follow ?  Which ones to turn away from?

Oh, God, help us to see what is bringing life and what is perpetuating death. 

Oh, that our lives could be full of the beautiful blossoms that God wants to grow in us.