Over the past couple of years, Tyler and I have been tending to our small outside (I don't know what else to call it.) We had the house painted a cheery light green. We had one fence replaced, and will soon replace a second one. A young landscaper took out what was left of a tattered and outdated front yard and replaced it with mulch and some California native plants that I can actually tend to. Tyler created a nice cabana in the backyard where a hot tub once resided. We had to send some moles along their way. I met with an arborist yesterday who will come next week to prune our trees. This year's heavy rains resulted in an explosion of tree growth that is beautiful but too much for our small property.
I am grateful for these people who have appeared at just the right time to share their energy and expertise. Both the landscaper and the arborist agree that our birch tree is about 50 years old. The arborist said that the usual lifespan of this large tree is about 70 years. He then added, "Now we need to trim it to curtail its growth so it can live its full lifespan."
That seems a good approach for those of us who are in the last third of our lives and is, I believe, a good spiritual practice. We cut back on our excesses to maybe live a little more fully into who God has created us to be. I think of Jesus and his words, "I am the true vine and my father is the vineyard keeper. He removes any of my branches that don't produce fruit, so that it will produce even more fruit (John 15:1-2)." While we may not relish this idea of being pruned, it is God's way. Therefore, we can trust the process and know that it is sacred.
"We must realize that we cannot be really fed, strengthened, purified, enriched and made holy unless we fulfill the duties of the present moment."
Abandonment to Divine Providence
Jean-Pierre de Caussade
imaage: San Leandro, July 2023. I am enjoying watching the various stages of the neighborhood artichokes.
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