More tree metaphors!

Last night in Bible class I was struck with some more tree metaphors and verses and thought I would add to my last post about trees!

Trees.
John 15:1-8
 ¹ “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes^[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. ³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
   ⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."


Recently I have been thinking about being transformed by God and allowing him to get rid of (or cut away) things from my life that are not of him. In John 15 it says in verse 2 "He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful". He also says in verse 5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing". This led me to think about trees and how we (as branches) stem out of the vine and that he will cut off bits of us (if we allow him) and prune us into being beautiful trees. Just like a gardener that doesn't want dead branches on his trees. 
Also a branch can not survive without a vine, as the branch stems from the vine. We are also only fruitful through him.
Some questions I have been thinking about are... Am I allowing the gardener to prune me? (God to cut away bad things in my life) Am I remaining in him and producing fruit? I can always tell if the time I am spending with him and being in his word is paying off because of the fruit that is being produced in my life. (See Galatians 5:22 for fruits of the Spirit) you will be growing to become more beautiful as your Father the ultimate gardener prunes you and you produce delicious fruit that is your inner beauty :)

Hope this makes sense! My mind is a really exciting, deep but messy place to be!