City of Angels

John 15:2: "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."


When I began applying to graduate schools, I had my mind set on moving to Orange County (which is actually where I originally hail from). I had been accepted to a good school out there, the area was beautiful, but then I got an acceptance packet from a school I've always wanted to attend. Massive wrench in plans. For days and days I deliberated and sought God's direction. I went on long runs just asking the Lord to speak to me about where I should go. In the end, I chose the school in the heart of Los Angeles.

I had no idea what I was getting into :)

There is something truly amazing about leaving the comforts of home and well established positions and intentionally starting new. I left friends, family and a secured position in ministry at my home church. It was exciting and terrifying all at the same time. But I've gotten to know the Lord in ways I never would have had I not left. The Friend and Provider, the Counselor and Defender I've found in him have so enriched my life and deepened my walk with Him.

But the process of intimately experiencing these traits of God has not been easy. It's been an exercise in faith, which, of course, I swore I had enough of before moving out here.

I come from a family that loves the outdoors and has a passion for making a garden beautiful. My mother has a fantastic green thumb. Every year she dramatically prunes her rose bushes, which is really not the most attractive process. Without an awareness of the rules in tending to a garden, it's almost depressing to see pruned bushes. But what I've found is the more dramatic the pruning, the more abundant the plant is when it blooms.

How much more does this prove true in our lives? The more the hand of our Redeemer cuts away the things that don't please Him, the things that won't bear fruit, the more fruitful we will be in due season. It's not necessarily cute to look at while it's happening and it can leave a once prideful rose bush feeling more vulnerable than she'd like, but the results are always the same: evidence of a faithful God who knows what He is doing in our lives. No home or position could ever bring that kind of comfort.