"The Pruning Process"

I have this small garden outside of our home and I'm super excited about it because the idea of picking vegetables from my own garden simply makes my heart explode with happiness. lol 

Nonetheless, as I was planting the garden, Logan (My 3 year old) came outside to help me. He was so excited to help that he THREW a handful of carrot seeds into the garden. The goal was to space out the carrots so that they would grow properly. I tried to space out the carrot seeds as much as I could in the midst of him throwing the seeds everywhere, but it looks like I missed a few during harvest time. Carrots have a way of growing wildly if you aren't careful. And, if I can be honest, I would water the carrots and my other fruits and veggies but I simply forgot to pull up some of the carrots so it would be easier for the others to grow (Even though my mother warned me! :)). I looked up months later and found that the growth of my carrots have been stunted because too many carrots tried to grow in a small space. 

I should have pulled up the carrots to make room for the others to grow. 

Cluttered carrots

And, spiritually, we should allow for the Holy Spirit to prune us so that we can grow and mature into the person that He has called us to be. 

Prune you. 

The definition of "prune" is: trim (a tree, shrub, or bush) by cutting away dead or overgrown branches or stems, especially to increase fruitfulness and growth.

And, some of you have some dead relationships, dead mindsets, dead jobs, dead whatever else that the Lord needs to PRUNE you of so that the proper relationships, mindsets, jobs and whatever else can grow in your life! Do you know that the other carrots CHOKED each other and they only grew to be about 1/2 inch long? 

THIS is what happens when you spiritually surround yourself with people that reject Christ! 

1 Corinthians 15:33 says that: "Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character."

What does corrupt mean? 

to cause (someone or something) to become dishonest, immoral, etc

So, there's a cause and a effect ACTION of hanging out with friends that are influencing you away from Jesus. There's a cause and effect ACTION of dating someone that you know is pushing you away from Christ! There's a cause and effect ACTION to disobeying the Lord! 

In my carrots, it resulted in super tiny carrots that I simply tossed in the garbage. I have no use for them.  

But.

There was a lone carrot that grew to be super big and it was planted away from the other carrots. It had ROOM to grow and it grew into it's full potential. 

So, if you're feeling ALONE, or lonely because it seems like things, people, jobs or whatever else is being stripped from your life, I want you to know that you're in good company. You see, at times, God HAS to strip us from ungodly influences but it is ONLY for a season. It's so that you can grow strong and build a FOUNDATION of trusting in HIM alone. I know it's hard, I know you don't understand, I know it seems lonely at times but God is STILL working IN YOU as you seek to PLEASE Him. 

Matthew 7:25 says "Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse because it is built on bedrock." 

Honey, your foundation is being built on Christ and when the tests come to beat against your house, it will NOT collapse, because it's being built on bedrock. So, who cares who talks about you? Who cares who leaves you, or rejects you? Humans are as frail as breath and we cannot place our trust in them, but in the Lord! (Isaiah 2:22). Our focus must be on the Lord and not who comes or goes. 

Have you ever had that friendship that just got really weird of out of nowhere? You're like, I cannot put my finger on it but something just doesn't seem right.. Then, you're torn because you're a christian but you sense a seperation. I have experienced these things before in my own life and I have come to the conclusion that we have seasonal friendships and relationships. So, instead of getting upset about every person that comes & goes - just thank God for the season that they were in your life. If you feel led to reach out, hash things out as the Lord leads you to restore, please do so! I have learned that some friendships in the past have slowly drifted apart because there was a fork in the road. They were going in one direction, me another. Does it make them bad or me bad? No, it's simple, everyone ain't going where you're going. Most times, you won't understand the pruning process until years later, but thank God we are connected to the One who prunes. Now, I have my best friend, Delan. We've been friends for 17 years and she's not going anywhere! If there's a weird separation, I'm calling her and we are hashing it out because I know that she's a God-friend. Know the difference between the two! 

Regardless of what pruning is going on in your own life, get busy about serving the Lord. Go home and cancel your hang out's with your friends and sit with a jug of water and turn off your cell phone. It's important that you know the voice of the Lord so that you can understand what is happening when you're being pruned!  Spend the day with the Lord and pour your heart out to Him! Volunteer to help a single mother in need with her children or cleaning up her house. Serve in your local church. Be faithful with where the Lord has placed you and don't let your feelings push you around. 

Remember that as you GIVE up your old life and take up life God's way - it's going to COST you something. It's easy to sin. It's easy to revert back to your old life with no standards. It's HARD to press past your flesh and tell God yes when the entire world is screaming "no!" 

Matthew 10:39 says, "If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it."

So, don't let your heart be troubled if people are saying that "you've changed, or you think you're too good for us, or whatever else." You are right. You're changing. You're becoming less like you and more like Christ. 

Know that there's millions of carrots planted all over the world that are intentional about serving Jesus regardless of what they are going through. Harvest season is coming if you would simply remain planted and trusting in the Lord no matter what. It will all be worth it. 

Hang in there. Eternity is always at hand.

Just a few things:

1. Find my (5) books (including my NEW book, "The Purpose Room"), purity rings, shirts & all that good stuff via pinkypromiseboutiques.com!

2. We have developed an APP! Think: daily post notifications + weekly devotionals, recipes and so much more! It's out NOW for iphones + Androids. Under: Heather & Cornelius Lindsey: Today With the Lindsey's

3.  If you live in Atlanta, I want to invite you to our church. Join us on Sundays at 10:30am. Our churches name is: "The Gathering Oasis"  3600 Snapfinger Rd Lithonia, GA 30038

4. Register for the 2017 Pinky Promise in Atlanta, GA! It sold out last year so you don't want to miss out! www.pinkypromiseconference.com

5. As always, you can join a Pinky Promise group locally! There's about 50,000 ladies that have joined! Find a group near you by joining & checking out the intro page! Join here: www.PinkyPromiseMovement.com

God loves you like crazy,

Love always,