My family and I returned from holiday to find our garden overgrown, potted plants wilted, etc. The recent rains have been a blessing, reviving my neglected garden. I then had to prune and repot certain plants. Next, a gardener came to mow the grass in our yard. Amidst all of this, I thought of Jesus’ analogy about the pruning of his people. I then checked for the Greek meaning of prune.
Prune means “to cleanse, to purge.” Jesus said in John 15:2, “Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”
Jesus used the illustration to refer to the pruning process we must undergo as believers to become fruitful. Most times, we aren’t excited when he’s cleansing us. Our ever-wild growing flesh always puts up a fight because it thinks it’s okay the way it looks — rebellious. The Chief gardener, however, must use his pruning shears to cut back the overgrown (maybe dried, dead) areas in our lives.
To ensure our spiritual growth, the Lord will purge his people. He wants us to flourish. He needs well-groomed believers.
Even though I gave it a different name from the posts, I hope the poem below blesses you.
Offer your garden to the Chief gardener.
***
Get Rid and Put On
Many times, we all have to dig deep
Search deep down to see if we carry around
weights, not ours to bear.
Here it is. Weeds are spoilers.
they ruin a garden, the garden of your heart and soul,
Weeds flourish. They bloom in different colours and make a colourful garden
Except you search, you discern, you could keep a weed longer than needed
A weed in you and me could look harmless, yet it’s inedible, poisonous, and wild
Perhaps you’re a plant, not a weed, but you’re like a no-fruiting branch.
The master will chop it off!
Maybe you’re bearing fruit, yet you need a snip-snip, a trimming to grow healthy and fruitful.
Whatever it is,
Search the garden of your heart and mind
Get rid of envy
And put on love
Get rid of the tight jaws. Put on a smile.
Get rid of duplicity. Put on truth and honesty.
Get rid of murmuring under your breath
Put on a new garment of praise and say so.
Weed out remnants of anger and rage
Oh, peel off the tint of bitterness poisoning your garden
Dig out the roots of jealousy and strife
And sow the seeds of love and peace
Offer your garden to the Chief gardener. Let it flourish.
© Enobong O’wunmi 2025.
