Father Knows Best - Season of Joy

Jesus said to his disciples:

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.

He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,

and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.

You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.

Remain in me, as I remain in you.

Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own

unless it remains on the vine,

so neither can you unless you remain in me.

I am the vine, you are the branches.

Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,

because without me you can do nothing.

Anyone who does not remain in me

will be thrown out like a branch and wither;

As we just heard in today’s gospel, abiding in Jesus requires pruning by God the Father. God prunes away anything in our lives that inhibits growing in His love and becoming the people He intends us to be.

But … Abiding in Jesus sounds much better than being pruned, doesn’t it? Who wants to be pruned? Yet, after many years, I’ve come to realize that God prunes us only out of love and concern.

I remember shopping with my dad for my first car when I was 16. At the dealership I caught sight of a used but shiny, red Ford Pinto just waiting for me to take it home! I was convinced this was the perfect car for me.

I begged my dad to buy it. But he refused.

My dad knew that Pintos had a design flaw; the gas tank exploded easily if it ruptured in a collision. But I wouldn’t listen, and I tried to persuade him. But he wouldn’t buy it, and I was crushed. As I look back now, I understand that my dad did not give into my mini-temper tantrum because of his love and concern for me. As the title of a 1950’s tv show states —"Father Knows Best.”

Really, it’s our Father in heaven who truly knows what is best, and He does everything- including sending Jesus – to help us grow and to remain in Him. Pruning is one of the methods; saying no to us at times or allowing things to be taken from us can be a means to keep us on the path home to Him.

Still, we often think we know what is best, and how our lives should play out and we are so convinced of our plans that we believe that it is what God wants for us, too.

In my 20s I thought I would marry, but my fiancé called it off weeks before the wedding. Much later in life, after working 27 years with the same organization, I was fired. Clearly, God had forgotten his plans for my life! Or – maybe, just maybe – I was the one not listening?

Dashed dreams and agonizing trials can drive us away from God…and be spiritually detrimental if the separation continues. However, they also can help us turn to God and renew our trust in him, even becoming a springboard for spiritual growth - if we allow God to prune us through our trials.

Abiding in God’s love is a choice. His love for us is constant. Our response to his love - in good times and bad - is our choice. I have also come to recognize that we are called to choose to cooperate with God’s pruning process by resisting sinful habits, avoiding time wasters, and rejecting distractions that turn us away from God.

Painful seasons of pruning in my life have taught me much about the choice of abiding in God’s love as well as the abundant life that comes with obeying, believing, trusting, and receiving all that the vine – the gift of God in Jesus – has to give.

The prunings I have received, some confusing and painful in the moment, I now recognize as necessary changes and losses, gifts of grace that shaped me closer to who God created me to be.

Closed doors were eventually followed by open ones. Hurts and rejections were healed by God’s love through the support of friends and family. My dependence on Jesus deepened and as I learned to surrender to the process of God’s pruning, I realized that I didn’t need what I thought I needed.

Both my breakup and job loss allowed me to move closer to my family when we all needed each other most--- while being blessed with new friendships.

My professional journey has become one adventure after another allowing me opportunities to put my gifts to use and hone them in ways I could never have imagined.

I am filled with gratitude when I savor the satisfying, abundant fruit that has grown in my life as a result of God’s most challenging prunings.

But like you, I’m still learning this art of cultivating trust. Some days I forget the lessons I’ve learned. It takes constant attention and practice to surrender to this deep truth …

Our Father does indeed know best!