Last week I noticed that the two white pine trees that shoulder our drive were in the process of renewing their coats. Unlike deciduous trees that grow new leaves in the spring, the pines shed and sprout new needles in the fall. Like any individual, one was further along, or perhaps healthier than the other and had more growth but both were going the process in their own way.
Like these trees, I also need renewing on a regular basis. Sometimes a little pruning is needed to spur new growth, at other times, a major cut and patch is necessary to do the trick. Either way it is clearing out the old, removing the disease to strengthen and add to ones self, perhaps making room for the new. Whether it be physical, mental or spiritual, renewal is good for us, just like it is for the health of this tree. Today I am glad that I have a God that takes the time to know me intimately and makes the needed, even if sometimes unwanted renewal in my life.
