Midnight prunings promise more fruit

   He woke me at 11 pm. I was in a deep sleep and struggled to pull my thoughts through my confusion.
   'I think we need to chop down the guava tree.'
   'You woke me to tell me that?'
   'We need to take it now!'
   'Now?'
   My husband is a quiet conservative man, and he never gets drunk. My poor foggy brain knew he was trying to explain, but my body was demanding more sleep.
   'It's breaking the roof and I think it will blow down and destroy the paving.'
   With a great effort I calmed my heaving stomach and followed him outside into the howling gale, the remnants of the cyclone that was covering half of Queensland in water. The offending tree was banging into the roof and breaking the sheeting. As the tree swayed in the wild wind, the root mass was heaving the dirt around the trunk. Yes. This tree was doomed to fall.
   So together we went to work. Reluctant to start the chain saw and shatter the neighbourhood's slumber, he found his best pruning saw and a long rope. Unfortunately the tree had multiple trunks, but none of them were more then ten cms through. Each branch stood about 5\five metres high. To avoid the tree falling on the house, he attached a rope to each trunk and sent me down the back yard to pull.
   I cut a glamorous figure, dressed in shortie summer jammies with my bed hair blown by the gale. But, miracle of miracles there was a break in the torrential rain.
   'Pull harder!'
   'I'm trying, I'm trying!' I wrapped the rope around my waist and pulled. I'm willing but no longer fit and forty. But together we conquered the task, rescued the house and retreated to bed as super heroes.
   The next morning our yard looked like a disaster zone. So many trees broken. The bare stumps were a testament to midnight craziness!
   All the trees and shrubs have been cut and chipped, and every stump, no matter how battered, is beginning to sprout new growth. As I walked the yard last week, after writing my blog, I saw the deeper message.
   'Every branch that bears fruit, will be pruned.' 
   The storm had battered our yard, but Steve had then pruned it - dramatically! But life continues. Under the right conditions there will be fruit again, more fruit, better fruit.
   So whilst I feel battered and bruised by many of life's events (See blog below), the Gardener is busily pruning to help me recover, to bring more out of my life. He promises that every branch that bears good fruit will be pruned to be even more fruitful.

   Once again, I rest back in God's arms in peace. He is a good God. His plans can't be destroyed by a few storms. The pruning saw may grab a bit and bring tears to my eyes but I'm so glad He is in charge.
And I'm excited. More fruit is coming. I can't wait.