One of the ways my wife blessed me during my recovery was to buy me a bonsai tr ee.

I have wanted one since I saw the movie: Karate Kid 3. In that movie Daniel an d Mr. Miyagi open a bonsai tree store after Daniel uses his college money to pur chase the shop. Inevitably, the bad guys want revenge on Daniel because his win at the tournament caused the demise of Cobra Kai martial arts school. Mr. Miyagi wont train Daniel because he felt that defending that title would only be for p ersonal gain. The bad guys up the pressure on Daniel and his teacher by demolish ing the bonsai tree store and putting up a tournament registration form in its p lace. Daniel decides, with the help of his love interest, to go get Mr. Miyagis f amily bonsai tree which is down a ravine called Devils Cauldron (ooh, how ominous ). As Daniel and Jessica are down in the cauldron retrieving the family bonsai, the antagonists show up and take away the ropes sending down the tournament form instead. Daniel is forced to sign it and the ropes are then lowered. Aha, but w hen Daniel and Jessica get to the top, the mean boys take away Miyagis family bon sai and tear the trunk down the middle; thus crushing Daniels spirit and extingui shing the hope of reviving their bonsai store again. Wow, what drama, what intense moral platitudes this movie is trying to convey, w ell, for the 80s that is. I wont go into the plot of the rest of the movie, becaus e I want to stay on topic for this post. So, you will have to rent the movie if your curiosity has been sparked. I was drawn instantly by the care and love of Mr.Miyagi that he lavishly places on each tree. He shapes them, prunes them, gives them indirect sunlight and nour ishes them with just enough food and water. Since I was a child I have always wanted to acquire the gentle spirit to care fo r just such a helpless thing. A mission to represent the caretaker, the one who serves and guides something from genesis to fruition. So, when I received my bon sai shortly after I came home from the hospital; I was very excited. This gift, gave me a chance to show the art of nurturing through careful treatm ent, and achieving the best placement of all the limbs to let it shine forth its beauty. I quickly ran to my local Barnes and Noble to get educated on how to ge t the best results of my little tree newly given to me. After pouring over that book, I learned that I had an outdoor bonsai. It required a little more care tha n the indoor ones and the placement of it outdoors was important to its proper g rowth and care. All over the internet I have seen some amazing pictures of others bonsai and the incredible shaping that people have done to get the results they wanted from the ir treasured plant. I found it to be very difficult to make mine resemble the su ccess that others have had. I discovered, that I might be the black thumb of garde ning. As I was entertaining my cultivational deficiencies, I was thankful that God nev er gives up on us; how, He keeps at it even though we dont often understand what He is faithfully doing on our behalf (Philippians 1:6). Sometimes, we shoot off in an area of our lives that can be disfiguring (to our spiritual well-being); j ust like an untrimmed offshoot. We get in the way of God and the work He is doin g in us. Therefore, because He loves us so much, that offshoot, gets pruned and it falls to the ground. Pruning, metaphorically, hurts; but, it should remind us of Gods love and great care He has for our lives. God wants us to abide in Him. If we are outside of that, we will not bear fruit. Thus, trees that do not bear fruit, their branches are cut down and they wither. I know that bonsai trees do not bear fruit, traditionally. But, it can be said t hat the fruit of a bonsai tree is the beauty of its shape. A form that makes a s olitary stand in a violent world; one that radiates the beauty of the Maker and shines forth like a blessing of His care that He has for us all.

If that bonsai of mine doesnt receive frequent, careful pruning and direction, if it is allowed to grow its wild-way; then it wont testify of the caretakers hand a nd ultimately wont stand the test of time as well. Gods word speaks of His care for our little bonsai trees and our need to abide in Him in John 15:1-4. It says: I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresse r. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch t hat does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clea n because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As t he branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. (ESV) As Gods people, we should want to bear fruit, because it testifies of the greatne ss of God and how He totally transforms lives for His glory. We should be in a c onstant place of abiding in Gods will and letting Him shine through the placement of the branches and fruit of our lives. Thus, giving an example, to the unbelieving world, of the life-changing power of Christ to all who will abide in His truth. At the end of Karate Kid 3, all is not lost because Mr. Miyagis skill as a vinedre sser is great and he is ultimately able to restore the family bonsai to its glory and radiance because it was placed back into the masters care. If you are lost, and out of the Masters care - Please fall to your knees and ask for forgiveness. Call out to your vinedresser and experience the pruning of a ca ring Lord who wants you to produce fruit, season after season; and in a way that reflects the glory of the Lord. The Great Plains Poet, no longer afraid of pruning, looking at His fruit that ri pens year after year. Feel free to comment, subscribe, hit the like button here and on Facebook, and mos t of all, allow God to keep you abiding in Him.

Bending Towards The Vinedressers Hand by Chris T.

These branches have withered some. Days have passed and years have gone by. I tried to grow tall and stretch out my limbs, But no longer do I bear the fruit of my youth.

I gave all my strength, to my effort and cause. Making sure I gained all the wisdom that I could muster. This direction, this off-shoot seemed so sure, so beneficial, But, nothing has been gained and now my branch has been lost.

My eyes have seen the vinedresser from far off, Though, I have bristled when he has approached. I wanted to show him my will to succeed. But it only magnified the means to my end.

Others seem to bear much fruit, so beautiful to the eye, They seem to flourish under the care of the vinedressers love. Now I am an old tree with few branches and few seasons left to grow. Maybe Ill start to trust the touch of His gentle care.

Oh, come to me, my Savior with thy Holy Hand. Give unto me the courage to lay down my plan. Snip off the wild offshoots that I tried to grow, And touch within my being the care that you know.

For though it stings a little for a pruning right and sure. And for a season some limbs might need a trim, and my heart may endure, To watch my own efforts be cast into the fire, But change within my shape the Lords true desire.

Now I must abide within the vinedressers care. Worry not myself about the tending of my affair. Bending to the shape of the Masters will To produce a luscious fruit that begets such a thrill.