01.12.2025 | Ordinary Monday

​While the Branches Are Bare
 
“Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord.”
— Psalm 27:14
 
There is a certain quiet in the Garden on this frosty winter morning in early January. The sun rises bright and clear as the Doodle girl and I walk along the glistening paths. We welcome the sunshine and the promise of slightly warmer days ahead.
 
The trees stand bare in this midwinter light. Their tangled branches reveal squirrel nests tucked here and there in our urban oasis. Those bare, twisted limbs remind me of the tangles of life, exposing the trees at their most vulnerable. Nothing is hidden. We see the truth of things. And we are reminded that patience is necessary. Every bud on every branch will soon burst into springtime splendor. The potential is there, waiting for the right moment. The truth is there too, waiting for its moment to be revealed.
 
The wonder of it all is that it happens every year. The shedding of leaves in fall. The winter rest and renewal. The burst of beauty in spring and the deep shade of summer. Everything works together, quietly and unseen.
 
I am in a waiting season right now. My heart feels a bit bare, but I trust the Creator is working quietly. Sometimes a bit of hard pruning is necessary for us to flourish. As Jesus reminds us, “Every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” We endure a measure of suffering so we can truly appreciate the goodness. The change is necessary. The bareness is necessary. We wait. We pray. We do what we can. We endure. We persevere. And soon—every bud on every branch will burst forth into springtime splendor.
 
Breathe in. Breathe out. Move on.
 
May the bare branches around us whisper of promise, not loss.
May the slow, patient light of winter guide our steps with gentleness.
May we trust, deep in our bones, that the pruning is not the end, but the beginning of a fuller bloom.