I’ve spent my morning taking care of my rose bushes. The abundance of rain we have had, lately, has made conditions perfect for big beautiful blooms with leafy green foliage. Being surrounded by so many voluptuous red and pink flowers as I worked made me smile. However, though the sight was a feast for my eyes, the clustered up flowers will limit continual healthy growth if left unattended; therefore I had to trim away some of the beauty, today. Overcrowding will eventually result in less rose blooming, so I had to cut away some of the roses to make room for my plants to breathe. Ever true to my nature, I kept applying what I was doing to my rose bushes to what has been happening in my own life. I’ve recognized how God seems to be cutting away some of what I consider to be beautiful parts of me to make room for me to breathe. Overcrowding will suffocate and result in less growth, and, thus, create potential for no growth. Though I love when beauty grows out of my life, sometimes a little of the beauty must be removed for the sake of more prolonged beauty. As I trimmed back my rose bushes, I kept singing the course to this song over and over in my head. When God unfolds the rose He always gets it right When the petals are in place Oh, it’s such a beautiful sight God knows when to hold on And the perfect time to let go So let God have His way And watch God unfold the rose ~Frank O’Brien Fruitfulness is seasonal and conditional. Different things have to happen for different reasons for healthy growth to occur and continue. God always knows what and when is best for me, and I have found it’s always best to let God do what He needs to do when He needs to do it in my life.