Come Grow With Us

Fruit of the Spirit,  Galatians 5: 22

Galatians 5: 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

Are you ready for a spiritual adventure?  Are you peering out your window observing the new verdant growth right outside your doorstep?  The giant American Chestnut tree in the side yard unfurled its leaves just a few days ago sporting green on every branch. Wow, from bare branches to new life before our eyes. Spring is a wonderful time to observe a seasonal pattern of growth all around us. The snowdrops, crocus, daffodils, tulips, cheerful forsythia, rhododendrons, flowering peaches, plum, cherry   cherry and apple blossoms explode one by one to delight the senses in April and May. Living in apple orchard countryside, got me thinking about what these spring beauties need to blossom: plenty of water, sunshine and healthy soil with just the right mix of nutrients to encourage them to thrive. 

What do we as God’s children need to bloom and thrive?  Maybe some quiet time with our Creator God. I live each day believing that “This is my Father’s World”, and if I keep my eyes open, I can see Him in thousands of everyday experiences. I can feel God’s energizing presence talking with a good friend, the kind of friend who lifts you higher. It is a joy to read an uplifting, positive message and then, pass it on to encourage others! Sometimes I need to be cheerfully expectant, and to just be aware of what’s going on around me. This morning, making coffee and looking out of the kitchen window, I caught the beauty of the early sun rising over the hills toward the east. Perhaps God is calling us to be alert,  to take inventory of how we spend our time, our talents and our resources. This is a great way to discover what is really important to us. Do we balance our lives…working, eating healthy meals, exercising and connecting with family and friends? What does our spiritual health look like? Wouldn’t it be exciting to grow spiritually?  Come along, as we explore the Fruits of the Spirit together!

Susan Hurd