God's Pruning - Midweek Reflection

This is a new theme we want to add to the blog (duh, every theme is new since the blog itself is new). We want to emphasize the importance of our family's faith and how it governs how we run the farm. So we're going to periodically work in a "Midweek Reflection" that will recap how we've grown in our relationship with Jesus; be it through what we learned in the Sunday message at church, what we've read in the Word that week, or any other way we take to His lessons.

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit." John 15:1-2

This week's reflection is from a message delivered by guest speaker, Josh McDonald, where he dug into John 15, the chapter that opens with Jesus referring to the Father as the vinedresser. That He takes away the branches that do not produce fruit, but that He also prunes the branches that DO produce fruit that they might bear more fruit.

So much of our journey to homesteading can be pointed to with this in mind. Obviously the Father wants us to bear the fruit that grow His kingdom, but that might be why so often there are areas in our lives that are pruned back and we quickly blame the evil one for it. The examples Josh mentioned in the message were along the lines of the slowing business, the struggling relationship(s), even hearing His voice.

It took me losing a job to find a career. Emily's sickness resulted in the loss of stable employment which allowed her to pour into her art business. All of which made our journey possible. We are currently experiencing a slow down of Emily's art business but finding this window as an opportunity for the farm to bear its fruit (pun intended).

It took discomfort for us to step out in faith and make the big move to northern Michigan which flung us far from loved ones and friends; that led us to an amazing community of people that challenge us to go deep in our relationship with Jesus. We wouldn't have found that where we lived before.

We just made the decision to rehome what seemed like the perfect dairy cow (Muffin) for our goals. Was this a branch that just wasn't meant to produce fruit for us or was it a pruning? What will this pruning back result in? We're praying for clarity on the perfect addition to the farm. Maybe goats, maybe emus? (Just kidding, our neighbor down the road already has the emu farm [yes seriously]).

The bottom line is that God might very well be pruning back so that you'll go deeper in your faith and bear more fruit on the other side of the pruning. Lean into the discomfort so that you may grow for yourself and Him.

God Bless!

- Cody