The heat was unbearable, and rivulets of sweat ran down my face as I frantically swung the scissors. Eddie had written in that month's gardening guide that roses should be pruned again in the fall when they flowered, so I braved the heat and pruned them.
I thought he also meant cutting some long stemmed zinnias and vincas for another show, but I wasn't sure. I was already hot and sweaty so I pruned a few zinnias that weren't looking very good.
The roses have grown so tall that I actually wear big gardening gloves to protect my hands and arms from the thorns, and usually I only take on a thorn or two for my team, the gardening team.
After watching a video or two and freshening my knowledge on the difference between deadheading and pruning, I decided to do a light pruning since it's hot. I don't want to shock the plant, but it's a bit more work than deadheading. For those who don't know, deadheading is not much different than removing the dead flowers before they go to seed. This will encourage more flowers, but if the plant gets too long or the stems get too long and start to look unattractive, more pruning will be needed.
Hmm. This garden always reminds me of the Master Gardener. I am not talking about a group of plant lovers who go by this name, but the one who created all of this in the first place. When I see the constancy of nature and the change of the seasons, I realize the greatness of the cosmic plan and order. The messy colors and infinite variety of the plants remind me of his creativity and his great love for all of us to gift such simple beauty to the world.
As I cut away dead plants and reshape them into something more beautiful, I think of how God, in his wisdom and love for his children, removes things from our lives that cause us to stumble. God's pruning is always for us to become more beautiful versions of ourselves. Of course, no one wants to be forced to change when they're comfortable in their own lives, but God wants us to show off to the world and bloom.
I've always been a fan of DC Talk and the song “What If I Stumble” reminds me of that. There's so much going on in that song. The intro talks about how the world needs Christians to live differently. It's calling for men and women, young and old, to live in the church so the lost can know that Jesus is real. It's a reminder that we all stumble but God knew how bad we were when He gave His life for us. That's why He did it. We need Him to lead us when we're not quite sure where to turn or what path to take. The world is watching.
Jean Penton Miller is a retired school teacher from Mississippi.
