My family just returned from visiting the Morikami Gardens in South Florida, in the USA. They are beautiful Japanese gardens. One section is devoted to incredible bonsai plants. These are plants of all kinds that have been pruned (trimmed to a particular design) and trained to grow in certain ways. They have a beauty and obvious discipline about them. I was watching a man in the garden as he pruned a particular plant. I noticed how careful he was to cut away very carefully selected parts, so the rest of the plant could grow according to his design. As I watched, I heard the Holy Spirit speak to my heart, saying, “This is what I desire to do for you. I want to shape you and train you to grow into a beautiful and disciplined picture of Me at work in your life.” What an awesome thought. God loves us so much that He spends His time pruning us, cutting away what needs to go and shaping us to become what His vision for us is.
(There is no audio for this entry. If you would like to go through my past Mentoring Minutes, you will find the audio on the original “Spiritual Bonsai.”)