Pruning can seem like a harsh and even violent act to those who don't understand what the gardener knows - that pruning, sometimes aggressively, is necessary for the plant to yield fruit. It seems counterintuitive, but removing even flowering branches can build up the plant stronger and healthier than it was before. John 15 tells us that God is the gardener of our lives and we must abide in Him to become more like Christ. In this episode we will take a look at Hans Brinker or The Silver Skates and how his dilemma relates to the choices we face, and in Laura Story's book, When God Doesn't Fix it, how surrendering our dreams may just guide us to real growth. You can also read about how we can find joy in the little things (even a piece of fruit) in this blog post I mention in the episode: https://thedemitassedrafts.com/blog-1/2023/12/6/have-a-very-orange-christmas
