Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I met with the One who breathed Life into my soul and once I got into His Word I couldn’t get enough. I read Words I’ve read many times before, but they Touched me in ways they never had before, and today they had New Meaning just for me. I’m growing more each day because of Him AND because I’m a Willing student. My days are getting shorter and shorter and there’s no longer “all the time in the world” for me. So I work hard to get my nature as close to the Nature of the Perfect One who died for me as humanly possible before He calls me Home. Just like the branches on this tree, there are pieces of me here and there that need Attention so that the smaller, weaker, parts of me can eventually become Mature like all the others. If I keep strengthening some parts, but overlook all those other “little” things that need to Mature, I can’t become ALL that He Created me to be. So, I keep working to become the Best I can be for Him. Isn’t that the way you look at your life too?

It can be so easy to feel good about ourselves based on Maturity in some areas of our lives, while we overlook the importance of developing all the other “little things.” We can be strong and well-rooted in some ways, but as weak as a newborn colt in others. If we continue to pour Living Water on the strong parts, no doubt they will stand firm for the long run BUT if we overlook the “little things” that need attention too, we risk thwarting the entire Journey of Faith. Sometimes those small branches need to be pruned to make way for all the others, and sometimes they need to be cut away entirely. Either way, unless we pay attention to the “little things” that stand in the way of us becoming all that He Created us to be, we never reach the Ultimate Goal. There aren’t many things that scare me as much as thinking I could end my Journey with a “Mission Incomplete” all because I refused to address the “little things” that stand between me and my God.

Sometimes we don’t realize our Journey is being thwarted, but that’s because we excuse away the “little things” as if they don’t matter. We easily deceive ourselves into believing that the “little things” don’t matter as long as there are some Strong parts…but that’s not true. After all, the human body is made up of millions and millions of cells but all it takes is a few active cancer cells to prevent all the others from thriving…and the same is true for the Journey of Faith. We often tell ourselves that “nobody’s perfect” and while that’s true, that’s no excuse for not giving it everything we’ve got to be more like the Perfect One who died for us. Don’t take my word for it – He says, “Be holy as I am holy”. It takes each piece to Grow into a Strong Vessel that is worthy to be used by the King, and sometimes it’s all those “little things” that are standing in the way of Spiritual Growth no matter how many other Strong branches we have. As long as we’re Willing…and Seeking His Face…and Determined to please Him more than we’re determined to please ourselves… He’ll keep revealing those “little things” that need our Attention, and He’ll teach us how to Prune them out of our lives so that we become the Vessel He intends for us to be.

The Lord used the branches on a dormant tree this morning to drive home a message to my Heart and I’m grateful for the Pruning we did together. He loves me. HE Created me for a Purpose. He wants to Use me. He wants me to be Strong. He wants me to Grow. He wants me to be a Walking Testimony of His Love and Grace in every area of my Life. If I need to go through a little pruning and cutting away so that I can be the Best for Him, it’s WORTH it. I won’t reach perfection on this side of Heaven but that won’t prevent me from trying to be more like Him every day until He takes me Home. “Mission Incomplete” isn’t an option for me.

How about you?