When Jim and I were first married, Alice Moss was a neighbor who lived right across the road from us. She was quite a gardener and really enjoyed her flowers.

I learned from her. Among other things, she told me to pick off the tops of started flowers when I would first transplant them into my garden. I don't like to do that. Usually it means, picking off a really pretty bloom or two.

No, Alice would say, if you leave the flowers as they are, they won't branch out. Instead, they will become one single stem, quite lanky.....easily blown about when the winds come up.

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"You are a poor specimen if you can't stand the pressure of adversity."

~ Proverbs 24:10 LAB

Bible Commentary:  "Adversity can be useful. It shows us who we really are, what kind of character we have developed. In addition, it helps us grow stronger. When Jeremiah questioned God because of the adversity he faced, the Lord asked how he ever expected to face big challenges if the little ones wearied him. We should not complain about our problems. The adversity we face today is training us to be strong for the more difficult situations we may face in the future."

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If life is handing us some things we don't care much about, maybe we are being 'pruned' for our lives ahead!