Finding Purpose in the Pruning: What Fall Teaches Us About God’s Timing
For the past few months, I’ve been taking daily walks. It started as a way to get outside and reset my mind, but lately, I’ve noticed how much everything is changing. The air feels cooler. The days are shorter. The trees that were full and green just weeks ago are now turning shades of gold and red.
There’s something about fall that feels comforting. Everything slows down a little, yet somehow it all feels like it’s moving forward too. Lately, I’ve been thinking about how similar we are to the trees. How sometimes, God allows certain things in our lives to fall away, not to leave us empty, but to prepare us for what’s next.
This year especially, I’ve felt that. I’ve walked through seasons that didn’t make sense at first. Things I thought I needed suddenly fell away, and it was uncomfortable. But looking back, I can see how God was gently pruning me, removing what wasn’t meant to stay so I could grow in the right direction.
In John 15:2, Jesus says, “Every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” Pruning isn’t easy. It means letting go of something that once felt good or familiar. But it’s never about loss, it’s about making space for something better.
Just like the trees shed their leaves to rest and rebuild through winter, God sometimes leads us into slower seasons too. Maybe He’s shifting your focus, stretching your faith, or asking you to release control in an area you’ve been holding tight.
It might not look like growth right now, but that’s exactly what’s happening beneath the surface. He’s deepening your roots. Strengthening your foundation. Preparing you to bloom again when the time is right.
Fall reminds us that letting go isn’t the end. It’s the start of something new. The trees will bloom again, and so will you.
So if you’re in a pruning season right now, take a deep breath. You’re not behind. You’re being refined. You’re being made ready for the beauty that’s coming next season.
Light that candle, grab a cozy blanket, and let yourself rest in the knowing that you’re right where God wants you to be.
