I have a tree outside my living room window that likes to get ahead of itself. Every year, it tries to grow one or two or three new trees from its own branches. It’s an overachiever.
I listened yesterday on my long walk to a podcast about curtailing–the art of removing some things in our lives so that others can flourish.
In the Bible, it’s called pruning.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me thatbears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” (John 15:1-2)
Friends, neighbors, fellow parents, despite whatever TikTok told you this weekend, we can’t do everything. We can’t even do most things well. Jesus calls us to do what matters most and let God prune off the rest so that then–only then–we’ll be even more fruitful.
What one (or two or three) responsibilities will you let God prune from your to-do list this week?
