Being Pruned

As any gardener, vinedresser or orchard manager knows, over time, plants, rose bushes, grape vines and fruit trees need to be pruned of dry, dead, un-flowering or un-fruit bearing branches.  Sometimes this entails living branches, but those which are just sapping energy and juices from the main plant and hindering its full potential.  Decisions and choices must be made to cut and prune for the good of the whole plant.  I often wondered if the plant had feelings and thoughts, what it would think of being so pruned.  The deadwood, I can understand, would cause no problem, but the living branches..."won't they give me a chance?  they might say.  But in the end, when the plant becomes stronger and bears more fruit, then I can vouch for the plant's agreement with the pruner.
So too with us...God is the Pruner and comes with his pruning cutters to strip  us of our deadwood, and even cut into what we think is "doing OK."  It hurts at first to be severed from something we think is so essential to us. but in the end, the new, abundant production overrides the pain of the pruning and we come to accept, rejoice in and even love the wisdom of the Pruner.
Lord, I want to bear the best fruit possible for you. Help me to trust the pruning you determine for me and be willing to bear whatever pain is involved for my own well-being and growth and  those who will benefit from it.
Bro. Rene