It was a great day for working in the yard. It reminded me of the love of God.

I moved some overgrown Russian sage plants to a different location, cutting back their massive purple spires as I worked. They were beautiful. I hope they will be beautiful again next year and that they will recover nicely from the shock of being moved. Sometimes that can be hard for plants, but these had very strong roots and the way they multiplied to fill the flowerbed made me confident that they were resilient enough to move to a location that better suited their abilities. Occasionally, God sees our growth and habits and does the same for us.

I also pruned the red currant bush today. I didn’t cut it all the way back, although I intend to do a little more over the winter. The purple sage flowers were so pretty and the currant branches so flexible that I thought I’d make them into a wreath to hang on the front door.

Sometimes what looks like destruction can be good for plants and can result in something beautiful as well. I know, it’s a theme I’ve been writing about a lot. But I continue to see it in the world around me and it continues to inspire me.

It reminds me of another story about a pruned currant bush and a man’s trust in God. I first heard it told by Truman G. Madsen (was it on the Joseph Smith tapes?) back in the 1980’s. It’s not his story, but one by a man named Hugh B. Brown. But Madsen told it with great power and it has stuck with me. Elder D. Todd Christofferson retold it in a conference for our church in April 2011 as part of a reminder that the Lord chastens, rebukes, and refines those He loves.

Here’s a very nice 3 minute video of the story as Elder Christofferson told it. Being pruned isn’t lots of fun. Nor is being relocated to another part of the garden. But it’s always a good idea to trust the Gardener and let Him do His work. He can make such beautiful things grow.

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