Spirit's fruit

Sunday, January 7, 2018 (7:29 a.m.)

Lake Arrowhead, Ca

Blessed, Holy God,

Thank You. I woke up this morning thinking of the fruit of Your Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Mm. Yes. Your Spirit’s fruit. Thank You.

The first word that came was patience. As in the importance of packing ours on every single trip we ever take. Oh, and now the smile as I read a definition for the word: “the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset”.

Oh yes Blessed God. Yes! Grant us better understanding of what it will be to truly live Your way. Or maybe not understanding. Ability!

Here my mind splits off in so many directions. The original version of what has become known as The Serenity Prayer. And how do we experience joy?

“God, give us grace to accept with serenity [the state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled] the things that cannot be changed, Courage to change the things which should be changed, and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.”

Yes Father. Grace. Acceptance. Serenity. Courage. Change. Wisdom.

“Living one day at a time, Enjoying one moment at a time, Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, Taking, as Jesus did, This sinful world as it is, Not as I would have it, Trusting that You will make all things right, If I surrender to Your will, So that I may be reasonably happy in this life, And supremely happy with You forever in the next.”

And now the twist back around to the Fruit of Your Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23a). I confess to You Blessed Father, these are not the attributes that come out first when I am under pressure.

Continue Your holy work in me Blessed God. How I long to not only pack my patience, but to actually exude Your patience! Your love. Joy. Peace. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. And self-control. All of Your Spirit’s fruit.

Yes. Please. Grow me in the way You would have me be. “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). Your path. Your way. High-yielding with Your Spirit’s fruit.

I love You. I want to serve and represent You well. Thank You. Amen.

(400 words ~ 8:33 a.m.)