Spiritual Pruning

In reading more of Elizabeth Elliot's book, A path through suffering, I feel compelled to share these excerpts.
"Suffering is never senseless. There is plenty of good sense in the metaphor of pruning found in the Gospel of John.
The life of the vine is the life of the branch. As long as the branch remains in the vine it is nourished. Cut off, it dies. ' Apart from Me you can do nothing.' In the spiritual realm there is no other life but Christ's. In Him we live. Without Him we die.
Vines must be pruned to bear the best fruit. Perfectly good branches are cut off in order for better ones to develop. The life of the vine is strengthened in one part by another part's being cut away. Pruning increases yield. So it is with our spiritual life.
God is the Gardner, the One who takes care of the vines. The hand of the Gardener holds the knife. It is His glory that is at stake when the best grapes are produced, so we need not think He has something personal against us, or has left us wholly to the mercy of Satan. He is always and forever for us.
'Those who receive...God's grace, and His gift of righteousness, live and reign through the one man, Jesus Christ' (Rom. 5:17) The branches live and reign through the Vine.
The pruning process comes hard to human flesh and blood. Yet the hardness is softened, as we concentrate on the truth the Lord has given us: 'If you dwell in me and my words dwell in you, ask what you will, and you shall have it. This is my Father's glory, that you may bear fruit in plenty and so be my disciples. If you heed my commands, you will dwell in my love, as I have heeded my Father's commands and dwell in his love. 'Pruning leads to joy.' I have spoken thus to you so that my joy may be in you and your joy complete.' (Jn. 15:7-11)
We can look at our experiences in the light of the Lord Jesus who 'learned obedience,' not by the things He enjoyed, but by the things He suffered. His single aim was to glorify His Father, and He did just that, every moment of His life. He accepted suffering. He willingly laid down His life. He poured out His very soul unto death. Shall not we, His servants, tread the same pathway? To 'abide in the Vine' is to live our lives in Christ, living each event, as Christ lived, in the peace of the Father's will."
I pray that I will be able to do just that. I pray this prayer that Lancelot Andrews prayed in the seventeenth century, 'Direct my life towards Thy commandments, hallow my soul, purify my body, correct my thoughts, cleanse my desires, soul and body, mind and spirit, heart and reins. Renew me thoroughly, O Lord, for if Thou wilt Thou canst'."