After days of stifling heat our evening in New England was lovely and pleasant.  Wanting to be outside and do something useful, I grabbed some pruning shears and trimmed the English Ivy that was taking over many of the windows of my house.  I love the ivy but it can do a real job on woodwork.  As I was trimming away it struck me that I was “devining” my house.  I smiled as I thought that sounded like I was doing something holy to my house.  I was.  The word “holy” comes from the same root as “whole” meaning to make right and complete.  I was making my house right.

Now some of you are saying the word that pertains to God is “divine” not “devine.”  However the huge English Oxford Dictionary says “divine” came from an earlier spelling of “devine.”

“Ah,” I thought, “to make my life more “divine” (Godlike) I have to “devine” it because little by little, day by day, life can get choked out by bad habits that creep up and in like vines.  In order to be “divine” I often need to “devine.”

Words are fun but the concept of needing trimming once in a while is not just for mental amusement.  Jesus said in John 15:2,  “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.”

Written by Roger Bothwell on July 5, 2002

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