The Savory Beef Stew I was making needed some carrots so I dug in the garden to find some late growing carrots. The picture shows the difference in the carrots I found.
Thinning made all the difference. It all started in the spring when I was sowing carrot seeds. I sprinkled them generously in the row and thought that I would thin them when they came up.
Thinning means to pull out all the extra seedlings. I started at one end of the row pulling out the little seedlings so the ones remaining were spaced about an inch apart to give them room to grow. The larger carrots were the result. The job was never completed and so stubby, intertwined carrots, and some with disease were the result. 
Thinning means I have to remove some potential fruit. But thinning also means the fruit I do have will be larger and healthier because each seedling has plenty of air circulation, water, and nutrients to thrive. If you are into gardening, this article on thinning explains the ideal time for different plants and how to do it.
How does thinning plants relate to my life?
There are choices in my life….
How many activities can I accommodate? If I try to keep all the options they start to get entangled with each other and there is vying for my time and energy.
Jesus taught about an aspect of thinning, He called it pruning. Taking away the branches that don’t bear fruit.
What are priorities in my life?
My relationship with my Heavenly Father. My husband. Family. My physical and emotional well being. Responsibilities in my home. Friends. Gardening. Writing a blog. Making quiet books for my grandchildren. Church serving and attending. Teaching Bible study groups. These are all good activities but which need the most attention?
Lysa Terkeurst in her book, The Best Yes, Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands states, “A woman who lives with the stress of an overwhelmed schedule will often ache with the sadness of an underwhelmed soul.” We have 168 hours that God entrusts us with each week. She writes that if we do an hours assessment of our week most of us have 3.5 hours that are not scheduled. How we spend them depend on the yes and no decisions we make.
So when new opportunities arise, I need to decide which options will help me to have a soul which is refreshed by what fills my days and hours. Maybe you have a schedule which needs thinning. Allow the Holy Spirit to help you make wise choices so you can grow good fruit.
