01.21.2026 | Ordinary Wednesday

Necessary Pruning
 
The cold that gripped us over the past weekend has finally loosened its hold—for now. But the forecast promises snow’s return with a vengeance by the weekend. Change seems to be the word for this week.
 
January is the time we begin clearing out the gardening storage area, preparing for the season ahead. I have to admit, I’ve let things go a bit, and some reorganization is in order. Isn’t that always the way? Life often feels the same. We take care of the absolute necessities, but the smaller things slip out of control.
I carry an organizational system in my head. I usually know where things are and can pull them up
quickly, but to anyone else it doesn’t look organized at all. My pile of books, files, and folders have grown unwieldy. It is time for a bit of necessary pruning.
 
Pruning is never easy, but it is essential. It helps plants thrive and trees survive. The hard work of putting things in order, cutting away what hinders true growth, can be painful, but it is necessary.
 
Jesus said, “Every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit” (John 15:2). Pruning is not punishment but preparation. It clears away what no longer serves, so that new life can flourish.
 
So, I ask myself: what needs pruning in my own life? What habits or time-consuming activities bring little value and need to be cut away? Perhaps it is time to let go of the anger and frustration I’ve been carrying. The weight has grown too heavy. I am too old to keep dragging it along, and honestly, it does me no good.
 
As Hebrews reminds us, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace” (Hebrews 12:11).
 
It is time for pruning. Time for change. Time to clear away what no longer serves, so that new growth may come.
 
I am praying for the courage to cut away what weighs me down, and the faith to trust the harvest that follows.