Thinning pears...

Thinning pears....

I have two Asian pears trees which were planted last year. Their trunks are no bigger than 2 inches across. These are young trees. This spring the blooms on them were so thick that they resembled lilacs with flowers continuing up the small tender Limbs three feet long. The bees were just as thick, pollinating the abundance of blooms.

Evidently, all the pollinating was successful, as the small, baby pears are as thick as grapes growing on the long thin limbs which are bending from the weight.

I have never had this kind of abundance of pears before...I have never had pears grow before wherever we have lived and started trees...so this is a true gift...

But, the hard part is thinning this abundance...the baby limbs or even the tree cannot support the amount of fruit which is growing...so, I first thinned out the smaller pears, then I thinned about one quarter out..then last night I thinned again---50 pears laying on the ground...my heart wrenched to see these laying there...

And, There will have to be more thinning as they become larger...

Choosing which pears will stay and which will be grudgingly thrown away is hard when this is a first time experience...but, I want some to grow to maturity without killing the prolific tree...

Transformation is hard as well...culling out the stuff we don't need in our lives...getting down to the core of life...maturing, focusing on the best...with no clutter...so that growth can take place is hard...watching the extra fall away...putting aside...pruning...

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
John 15:1-4

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:2

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:18

Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:4

As much as I don't like the pruning, thinning of the pears, it is a picture of what God is doing in my life...getting rid of the excess...the extra...focusing on growth of the best-Himself in my life...all rest of just extra stuff! not good for growth or strengthening....thank YOU... I want the good growth...the good, mature fruit...