Let’s talk about pruning.
Yes, the garden kind.
If you’ve ever seen a gardener snip off healthy-looking branches from a tree, you might’ve thought, Wait, why cut it if it’s growing? But pruning isn’t about destruction—it’s about preparation. It clears space for better, stronger, more fruitful growth.
Life has pruning shears of its own.
When Life Does The Pruning
Adversity has a funny way of showing up when we least expect it. You’re just minding your business—loving your people, making plans, thinking you’ve got a handle on things—and then... snip. A friendship ends. A job disappears. A relationship cracks open.
Sound familiar?
We’ve all been there—maybe you’re there right now. If so, I’m not here to throw a pity party. I'm here to invite you to pause and ask: What is life trying to remove to make space for your next season of growth?
Pain: The Uuwanted Messenger
The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as:
“An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage.”
Translation? Pain hurts. Physically, emotionally, spiritually—it doesn’t discriminate. But here’s the thing: pain, while unpleasant, often signals that something needs attention. Maybe it’s a limiting belief, a relationship, or a version of yourself you’ve outgrown.
Pain isn’t here to break you. It’s here to teach.
Adversity: Life's Harsh But Honest Teacher
There’s one experience every human being shares: adversity. Not if it comes, but when. The difference in people isn’t whether they face adversity—it’s how they respond when it comes knocking.
Do you crumble or recalibrate?
Do you ask why me or what’s this trying to teach me?
I’ve had my own moments of “Sputnik Slaps”—those out-of-nowhere shake-ups that make you question everything. I’ve learned the hard way that adversity doesn’t just reveal what you’re made of—it reveals what you believe about yourself, love, trust, and possibility.
When Love Gets Tested
One of the deepest lessons I’ve learned? The difference between being in love and choosing to love.
It’s easy to love when everything feels magical. But feelings fade. Gary Chapman, in The 5 Love Languages, says the "in love" feeling typically lasts two years. Two years! After that, love becomes a choice. A decision.
Even in tough situations—yes, even in abuse—you can choose to love… from a healthy distance.
That blew my mind. And maybe it’s challenging yours right now too.
Hope: Yes, Even In Hard Times
Can we talk about hope for a second?
It often feels like adversity and hope don’t belong in the same sentence—but they do. Hope is the quiet whisper that says, “This isn’t the end.” Hope is a reminder that this pain has a purpose. That you’re still becoming.
It’s never too late to rediscover it.
Choices: The Daily Battlefield
Every day, we’re met with choices. Some big. Some small. Some feel impossible. But they’re ours to make.
-
To forgive or not.
-
To let go or cling.
-
To speak up or stay silent.
-
To shift or stay stuck.
Even not choosing is a choice. I’ve learned that when life feels heavy, I still get to decide whether I’ll be defined by my scars—or strengthened by them.
Growth Is Uncomfortable—But Worth It
Here’s the raw truth: Change is uncomfortable. It doesn’t ask for permission. It just shows up. And while change is inevitable, growth is optional.
John C. Maxwell once said:
“Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.”
And whew—ain’t that the truth.
I’ve had to choose, again and again, to trade comfort for growth. To leave behind what no longer serves me. To step into what might serve me, even when it scares me.
It’s not easy. I still resist. I still question it. But I’ve realized that if I want more than what I currently have, I must become more than who I currently am.
Your Turn: What's Life Trying To Teach You?
So let me ask you:
-
What adversity have you faced lately?
-
What lesson might still be hiding in that pain?
-
What are you being called to let go of... so something new can grow?
You may not have all the answers right now—and that’s okay. Just be open to the pruning. Because on the other side of it?
Growth.
And maybe even a life you didn’t dare imagine before.
Comments
Post a Comment