This is a miniature tangerine plant that was given to me more than thirty years ago as a 6 inch tall plant. Through the years I have repotted and pruned it. It has been producing blossoms that are sweet-smelling like orange blossoms and then individual fruits. As is evident, this past year it outdid itself. When I brought it in at the end of the summer and put it in a south facing window it was already starting to develop fruit in bunches. While the fruit was still growing, more blossoms began to appear and scent the room. When the tangerines turned orange, I thought they looked like Christmas tree decorations, so I put some lights on the tree. It is a beautiful and abundant demonstration of the value of pruning.
As I looked back over the events of 2011 to see what they might have to tell me about the Old Year and the New Year, there was a lot of negative stuff. But I still found myself full of joy. While the negative stuff was happening, I was also finding new ways to think about God and heaven that made them seem incredibly close. The value of pruning?! The joy springs from that growing feeling of closeness.
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