Sabbtical as Pruning

Sabbatical has had significant impact on me. This year-long process was important but it took some serious imagery to get my mind around it. Even as the year draws to a close I'm still working through it and feel it will be a while until I'm on the other side. One of the images was of pruning.

I've spent a lot of time in the Biblical chapter, John 15. It's Jesus talking to his disciples in their waning time together. Might not be exactly their last night, but it's in their last days at least.
It's the chapter with "I am the vine and you are the branches." Which although is incredibly popular, I don't know of a praise or children's tune that uses this imagery. There was a short devotional book written around it in the late 90's that caught my attention.

There is some serious pruning discussed in verses 5-10.
My thoughts: Pruning hurts.
Pruned branches don't compost well. They are stiff and woody and end up burned.
Pruning isn't self inflicted- but of course what vine has access to loppers.
Some pruning sets the plant back a few years.

I have been trying to grow grapes over the last four years. Literature taught me grapes will flower on two-year old vine. This means your pruning today is planned on to your pruning next year so you'll have bigger better grapes the year after that.

If you're a grape vine, good pruning can take you out of productivity for two years.

I don't want to hear that. I want the short snip. Cut the head off the dead rose bloom and let me get to blooming again this year.

But pruning is essential to better fruit. That's the promise. The nice words they say when you feel like shriveled blooms, crusty leaves and unbending woody beginnings and fruitless attempts.