What stage of the growth cycle are you in?

If you were a fruit tree, what stage of your growth cycle are you in?For example, is it a particularly growthful time right now? New risks, new ventures afoot, new opportunities, places to go and people to meet?Or is it a fruitful time? Things you have persevered with and invested in coming to maturity? Prayer being answered, new ventures having taken shape are establishing themselves and good results are coming? Hard training over the race about to begin?It's great to see fruit; weddings, babies born, holidays, a new manager or staff person proving to be a really good decision, hard work producing the outcomes you hoped and prayed for 30, 50 or 100 fold. I love fruit!Or, is it a time of pruning? Intentional lopping of branches - and which branches do I lop? After fruiting there is always pruning.Cheryl is discovering that pruning to produce fruit is rarely heavy pruning; it's more focused strategic pruning. Are you doing or needing to do some focused, strategic pruning in your life? Not working so hard to maintain that relationship, accepting a physical limitation, coming to terms with life after school or university may be examples of pruning.Or finally, dormancy? Abiding? Just remaining? True abiding is more than passive dormancy. When grapes lie dormant their roots still grow.Are you being laid fallow for a while? Struck by illness or injury that leaves you needing to recuperate and reflect. A client or job falling away leaving a gap on your schedule with spare time. Expecting to go away with a friend but finding you're going alone. Taking hold of these opportunities that are often created by some form of pruning are very important. Abiding is an important restorative activity. A time to hear from ourselves and God.Jesus alludes to these states of being in John 15. As we celebrate Pentecost today you can be sure that whatever place you find yourself, God the Holy Spirit is working with you and on you there. These are the places he commands us to "remain in his love". In some places we tend to forget Him, in others we tend to blame Him. God the Pentecost Holy Spirit is loving you, sustaining you, counselling you, guiding you in all these places.Pentecost initiated a reality that is just as true today as it was then - God is with us! God dwells in us! In all the opportunities and circumstances we face, faith seeks God there, it learns there, it is open hearted and open minded there.In Jesus' AdventureMalcolm