F is for FRUIT

Ah, the Fruit of the Spirit. Those often hilarious, unusually elusive nine things that St. Paul tells us are the signs of a life filled with the Holy Spirit . . . love (got it), joy (mostly), peace (what?), patience (patience!? . . . I've got no time for that), kindness (I try hard), goodness (as in "for goodness sake!"? . . . got plenty), faithfulness (working on it, as usual), gentleness (do the words "bull in a china shop" or "foot in mouth disease" mean anything?), self control (always...as long as everyone is doing things my way).

Okay. So we fail, as parents and as people. We don't always fit the scripture verse, to say the least. And yet those seemingly elusive fruits do have a way of showing themselves.

Love is standing before the back-sassing child, and responding with a hug. Joy is listening to your toddler (and you) scream and giggle the first time she figures out potty technique. Peace is bedtime, and the overwhelmingly grateful feeling that you all made it through another day, together. Patience is waiting for twenty minutes in the driveway while your daughter learns to buckle the seat belt by herself (*sigh*). Kindness is giving up the last piece of pumpkin pie to that ravenous teenage son (when you really want it for yourself). Goodness, just doing dishes and laundry and going to work and grocery shopping and cooking and chauffeuring and all the things that simply keep your family going on a daily basis (and not — okay, rarely — complaining about it). Faithfulness is every prayer — whether offered with word or action — every moment. Gentleness, the eight boxes of Band-Aids and five bottles of Bactine you keep in the medicine chest and use like crazy, wound or no, and all the kisses that go with them. Self-control, that ability to sit down and play Polly Pockets or help with algebra homework for an hour, without worrying that you have more work than you can handle waiting for you.

So moms, give yourselves a break. The Holy Spirit is with you all the way . . . whether you can always see it or not. Keep sowing the seeds, and trust God that good fruit will grow from your labors (which, as we all know, are many). :-)

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
- Galatians 5:22