Isaiah 42:16 “I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.”

Dear Friend,

My little vine plant used to have long trails of beautiful leaves; that is, of course, before I left it in the back of my minivan in freezing temperatures for days!  When I found it, my heart sank a bit, as I had to cut back its leaves—moderately at first. I had high hopes that some leaves would revive, but later, I had to take the scissors to it again. And then it hit me – this is what happens to us in life.

Some of the leaves that one-day “seemed” good and even part of our identity are now dead and wilted and the very things that slow us down in life and prevent us from going places.  

Has God ever hinted to you about trimming those wilted leaves in your life? At first we might get scared to think of allowing God to trim us back, but perhaps it’s because we have misconstrued the heart of God, or we are too comfortable with the familiar.

Could we be braver and have more confidence that when God wants us to let go of something, it’s because He has something way better for us?  If you let go of fear, you can have peace. If you let go of bitterness, you can have joy. If you let go of doubt, you can have freedom.

Too often we perceive God as trying to do something that we won’t like. We view these things in a negative way, like, “This is going to hurt.” The part of you that is dying in that process is your flesh, and yes, that can hurt.  Inside, however, your spirit is growing stronger and becoming more in control of your flesh (mind, will and emotions).  This is better.  We want this.  We are to be led by the spirit and not our flesh (Gal 5:16-17).

God loves us and doesn’t want us weighed down or hindered by things that are not promoting life in us.  Instead, we must focus on the truths that help set us free to:

1) Walk in our true God-given identity, and

2) Accomplish those mighty things He has called us to do.

For God to grow new leaves in us, we must first let Him trim the dead ones as far back as necessary.  Yes, at first we won’t like how it looks: bare and simple.  But when new growth is coming, if it is God-fed, it will definitely be better than what we had before.

Personally, these are the leaves that are not promoting life in me: indecision and regret.

Dead Leaf #1:  Indecision

I have been known to stand in front of what feels like a thousand bottles of salad dressing at the grocery store in a dead stare.  Uhhhhh.  After surveying the prospects and their myriad of unrecognizable ingredients, I end up telling myself, “Maybe I’ll just splash some Balsamic Vinegar on my salad like the Italians do and call it a day.” After several minutes, I walk away empty-handed.  I know it shouldn’t take that long to make a decision and this is what frustrates me.  But imagine walking this way in all of life’s decisions…it’s a killjoy.

Dead Leaf #2:  Regret after Making a Decision

Not only can it take me a long time to make a decision, when I actually do make one, I immediately question if I did the right thing. This is, to say the least, annoying. These leaves have to go!

I can’t keep staring at the wilted leaves that I’m dragging around.  It wastes my time and Friends, if I continue to live this way, I will never write.  For me to move past indecision and regret, I must believe that God is bigger than any of my mistakes and that His redeeming hand can turn my worst mistakes into something beautiful–that is the truth.  Then I become free to move in the direction of my destiny.

God has something much better for us all, and I want it. Do you?

What dead leaves need to be cut off in your life?  What habits or tendencies prevent your growth and hinder the dreams and plans that God has for your life? Can you decide to let them go today and ask God to give you newness? God can help, give him the scissors, close your eyes and let Him take off what is preventing you from moving forward in your destiny. He will teach us how to walk along new paths of truth as we rely on His greatness and not our weaknesses.

Psalms 40:2 “He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.”