Stripping off the excess

We live in a nice neighborhood. The other day as I was driving to work I saw a rather large crew working around an enormous eucalyptus tree. It was obviously overgrown and unkempt, and my fear was this work crew was going to cut it down. Being somewhat of an old unkempt type myself I stopped and asked what the crews intentions were with the tree. "Stripping off the excess" came the reply....sounded good to me so I went to work.
Driving home that evening I came around the corner and was almost blinded by that old unkempt tree. They had trimmed its brances, and then stripped all the old bark off of it, and underneath that old dirty bark was a gilmmering sheen pearl like tree in the fading sunset. I would never have guessed it was the same tree, but I knew where it lived.
And thats when God told me He was The Great Tree Stripper. How he trims off the branches, and strips off the excess, because He wants us to grow....He wants us to shine..... all for the glory of His Kingdom.
Im in a time in my life where I am being stripped it seems. My hope is that trees dont feel pain like we do, because this is a painful time. But it is necessary for God's plans for me and I believe it is working for good in all things. I hang on to what I believe because at the end of this stripping it may be all I have left. Peace.....