I’ve had my locs for seven years now and most recently I have noticed that in some places, my locs are thinning and not as strong as I believe they should be. While there is still great length, there is a weakness that exists in some places and that weakness makes my locs prone to breakage. Seven years ago, I made a commitment to myself to keep my locs for 10 years, meaning that when I turn 40, I will either let them GO or let them GROW. However, as a preemptive measure to avoid the embarrassment of seeing a loc randomly break in public, I have begun cutting off pieces that look like they are about to snap. You see, although I love the length that I have, I do recognize that some cuts- or pruning- is necessary for growth to occur.

Beloved, likewise, our magnificent God often needs to prune us so that we can bear more fruit for His future works.

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I feel like I’ve written about this before but God placed it fresh in my heart this weekend and I felt led to share it here again. And we already know that what God gives me to share, gets shared no matter what.

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In preparation for sharing this, God led me John 15, verses 1-2, which says, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the Gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” Every living thing hits a moment where it must reinvent itself or shed some of its old being, in order for the NEW to be made present. We see this in nature with Butterflies or the shedding of fur that animals experience. We also see this in humans as we naturally shed 70-100 strands of hair every day. We even see this in the workforce when one completed task gives way to another. Letting go to produce something new is not new!

Today, Sweet Friend, God is calling us to truly accept His plans for our lives by allowing Him to prune us so that we may grow. Yes, there may be moments where the pruning seems like straight up regression or failure, but the growth that comes from it will be a beautiful sight to behold. My locs have been a labor of love for the past 7 years and, honestly, I look forward to the journey that is to come. While it may hurt to temporarily lose some length in my locs, I recognize that something greater is coming soon.

We have yet a ways to go; we must be pruned to grow.

Be blessed.

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Beloved, the next two Mondays are holidays- Christmas and Thanksgiving. Please stay tuned for video recordings to welcome you and send words of encouragement on those days.