Listen to this podcast episode here:
Have you ever gone through a season when God feels hidden? Life gets overgrown with responsibilities, worries, and even good things, and suddenly our faith feels buried. Yet Scripture shows us that these are often times when God is preparing us for His pruning in our lives—times when He lovingly cuts back the chaos so that we can see Him more clearly and grow in renewed faith.
I’ve lived on the same road for more than fifty years. I know every curve, every field, every little house. There’s one house in particular I remember because of its beautiful azaleas. They were the biggest, brightest azaleas I’d ever seen, and every spring they caught my attention.
But over time, the house was abandoned. The grass grew tall, vines crept up the walls, and eventually you couldn’t even see the house anymore. For years, I could still spot the azaleas pushing through the weeds. But in recent seasons, even those disappeared. My kids didn’t even know there was ever a house there. All you could see from the road was woods.
Until one day, the land was cleared. And there it was—the little house, still standing just as I remembered.
A Picture of Faith
As I drove past, it felt like the Lord whispered to my heart: That’s what your faith is like.
There are seasons when life grows wild around us—responsibilities, worries, even good things. They cover and choke out our ability to see God clearly. We know He is there, just like I knew that house was there, but it can feel hidden behind all the overgrowth.
Yet at the core, Jesus remains. Even when we can’t see Him, He hasn’t moved.
Faith says, “I believe You are here, Lord, even if I can’t see You right now.”
The Pruning We Need
Jesus told a parable about seeds falling among thorns (Mark 4:18). He said the worries of life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things can choke out the Word and make it unfruitful. That picture rings true.
Sometimes God has to cut things back in our lives—just like a vine that won’t bear fruit unless it’s pruned. Pruning hurts, but it clears space for growth. It brings us back to the basics: to the simple truth that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.
In this season, I hear Him inviting me to let Him cut away the excess so I can see Him clearly again.
Coming Back to What Matters
I don’t want to just survive; I want to thrive in my walk with Jesus. I want to breathe again, to believe again, to walk in simple faith and obedience. At the end of the day, the only title that matters is this: child of God.
Life will always bring distractions, disappointments, and even heartbreak. But sometimes the breaking of our hearts fixes our vision. It brings us back to what is true, back to the center of it all—Jesus Himself.
So, if you’re in a season where the overgrowth has covered what you know is true, take heart. The house is still there. Jesus is still at the core. And in His time, He will cut back the weeds so that we can see Him again.
Let’s walk this road together. Let’s come back to His heart, to the place where our identity is rooted in Him and nothing else.
© Audrey McCracken Creatives LLC, 2025
If you found this article helpful and you’d like to say thanks, click here to buy Audrey a coffee.
