Pruning

My friend Thomas Johnson once told me something that will stick with me forever.  He said that when grapes are growing on a vine they are very small and really barely grapes at all.  There are just too many branches, resulting in each branch blocking sunlight from another.  So the person growing the grapes cuts all of the branches except for the three best ones.  He cuts the bad branches, the average ones, and even some good ones--that way the three best ones can grow and thrive.

Pruning.

Cutting out bad stuff in our lives is challenging, but we do it because we know it's in our best interests.  Cutting out the good stuff so that we only have room for the best?  Now that's a bit of a challenge.  Sometimes we have to cut out certain church activities so that we can make room for the one activity that we are called to really minister in.  Sometimes we have to cut down on classes so that we can focus on other courses that are slightly more important at the time.  Sometimes we have to put certain relationships on hold for a season while we are trying to really work on building (or mending) a relationship with someone else.

I had an opportunity to present my research at a (basically all-paid for) national psychology conference in Chicago.  The only problem is that I would have to hop on a plane one day after getting home from Basileia:  a retreat (much like Rockbridge) that I'm going to in order to kick off my intern IV staff year.  Logistically, I could do them both.


Spiritually, I don't think that was a possibility.  I think that I would not have been able to give Basileia my all, not to mention the fact that I would have been ill-prepared during the convention.  It was a difficult choice:  do them both or give up going to this once-in-a-lifetime research conference?

My time spent as a psychology major has been such a blessing.  I've learned a plethora of knowledge in undergrad and acquired amazing life-skills by being on this research team.  But right now I am called into ministry and I need to put down this good of academia to allow my job in ministry to really thrive.


Pruning.

I felt so relieved after telling my professor that I would not be attending the post-graduation conference.  This whole process made me realize that I am not very good at pruning.  I take classes that are completely unnecessary (neurobiology, hello...) and take on tasks that I could have delegated.  I say yes to too many social activities with too many groups of friends and leave little time to really cultivate the relationships.  I read many great Christian books, but leave little time to just spend in prayer with Jesus.

Pruning.

I'm learning it's important if I want to grow healthy grapes.
       And really...
                 If I want to grow any grapes at all.