Articles
I Got Pruned
Have you ever had someone point out to you that you are part of the problem?
A couple of years back, I had it happen to me. I had said some things about people's actions in general, in front of someone who aligned himself with them. At the time, and for some time after, I had no idea what I had done. I had not set out, with evil intent or contempt to do anything of the sort. Just in the middle of conversation, I unleashed some hurtful thoughts and words.
It was some time before it came back around, but on that day, I was humbled, hurt, mad at myself, cried about the hurt felt by one person in particular, and just sort of blasted by realizing what I had done. I've been cornered before knowing full well what I have done, and that's a different feeling. This was an overwhelming black cloud that really bothered me.
But, it didn't take long to know what I needed to do. Apologize, and then fix myself. It took some heart changes, which fixed my attitude and tongue. My outlook changed, not only about that but other similar things. I now tell people about this incident, in an effort to help them. They too, don't hate, don't intend to hurt, and are blind to the bigger picture. I'm not sure how we can stick our foot in our mouths and not know it, but it happens!
God used this situation to humble me, help me grow, and now I'm trying to use it to help others. Maybe this is one example of what scripture means when it says "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." John 15:1-2
