Pruning Still

I am going through a worrisome time right now.  One of my oldest friends called last night and suggested that maybe God wasn't through pruning me after all.  He was referring to a retreat I gave more than three years ago based on John 15, the Vine and the Branches.
On retreat we read the passage "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser....every branch that does bear fruit he prunes to make it bear even more."  I suggested that we each go off by ourselves and think about how God is pruning us. 
When I reported back to the group, I said that since I had retired I couldn't think of any hard times through which God might be pruning me.  One of the women who knows  a lot about trees said that you couldn't prune an old tree because it doesn't have the life force to start putting out new growth.  I was disappointed that God thought I was about as good as God could get me, but I was also relieved that hard times were over for me.
Surprise!  Pruning has begun again!
After breakfast this morning I spent some time reflecting on John 15 and talking to God about the pruning that is going on.  If God thinks I'm worth pruning, that means I have been fruitful and could be more fruitful.  So I thank God for the pruning.  I don't like it.  But I see it's needed.
Sometimes when I prune a plant it looks like I've destroyed it.  The picture above is the miniature tangerine that I pruned with the help of the retreatants in June, 2009.  When we finished with it, there wasn't much left except the trunk and two or three short bare branches.  It has flourished since then.  This is the fourth time that it has produced the tiny fruit.  Last January I picked more than 200 off it. The little white things you can see are the beginning of blossoms.  They have a beautiful smell similar to orange blossoms. Most of them will eventually become tiny tangerines.
In verse 5 Jesus says, "Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty."  So be it.