The Fruit

There are some days that I fully believe God looks down on us, shakes his head and wonders if and when we will ever get it right. Some days He laughs at our inability to get it right and other days he weeps at our confusion and worldliness. 

A few years ago I did a big study on the Fruit of the Spirit in hopes that somehow these would help direct my purpose in life and give me the answers that I needed during that time. Of course, as God's word always does, it gave me my answers. Through digging deep into the Fruit of the Spirit I learned so much about God's character and the purpose that He desires for his children to walk in. 

Here is an excerpt from some writing that I did several years back about the fruit patience and my goodness, how relevant is this for me today...

"The Fruit of the Spirit is also defined as patience. God our Father has more patience than anyone who has walked this earth. Day in and day out God faces our sins, our unwillingness, and excuses and yet still has enough love and patience to hold us in His right hand. If one is patient then they uphold a characteristic that can help them get through any situation. Patience is in a sense a form of fortitude and perseverance. Just as a father coaching his son in baseball, the son may not always get it right but the father never gives up and keeps working with his son till he masters the technique. Patience allows God’s followers to work with people who generally would get under their skin, with grace and acceptance."

I am so thankful for God and his unending patience with me. I get it wrong so often and yet he still has patience with me. 

Patience when my heart is in the wrong place.

Patience when I am angry.

Patience when I am not listening to his call.

Patience when my prayer life is not where it needs to be.

Patience when I am not the best wife or mom.

Patience when I am not baring the fruit of patience.

Patience when I am in the pruning seasoning and my heart is hurting.

Patience when I am on the mountain top and blinded by selfishness.

Patience when I am in a waiting period and my heart is longing for something more. 

I wish so much that I could get it "right" day in and day out. But I can't, and thankfully God does not need me to. He knew we would not get it right when He made man. He knew that we would need His son to be our savior. He also knew that because we were a child of his that this fruit would be ingrained into our hearts. And regardless of how wrong we get it we would still be striving to produce the fruit that He has asked us to.

"Eventually through teaching, learning, and feeding the soul, a Christian will be able to demonstrate love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."

Unfortunately on this Earth we will never get it right one-hundred percent of the time but with God's grace and goodness he gives us the opportunity to share glimpses of heaven by baring the fruit of the spirit in our day to day life with everyone we come in contact with. 

With Love & Grace,

Madeline  

He Said Write

So many days, so many nights, so many moments God has placed the desire on my heart to write for Him. So many times I pushed it away. So many times I responded to Him with ridiculous excuses. Until today.

You see, God has been dealing with my heart. Dealing with my character. Dealing with my confidence. So here I am, starting a blog that I should have began seven years ago.

Today, while reading my devotion about dreaming with God the author talked about the dreams that God placed on our hearts, even as children, and how as adults we box up those dreams and forget about them. We give our pitiful excuses to God and opt out of pursuing the dream that He gave us. The author challenged us to open those dreams back up.

So here I am, pulling my boxed up, dusty, cob-webbed dream out of the attic and handing it to the Hands of Christ for Him to do His will with it.

Today it all began with Revelation 21:5 "And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful."

There, in the Word, was the dream that I had boxed up for so many years. For me, when I read these Words, it jumped off the page as a personal commandment to me, straight from my Father. I had to read it three times, through the tears. Because there was my dream. There was the dream that my God put into my heart so many years ago.

I've read the book of Revelations. I have completed bible studies on the book of Revelations and never have these words connected to me in the way that they have today. So for me, today was a God moment. It was an answered prayer. It was God's timing. His time for me to open my boxed up dream because he has a purpose for it.

Over the days and weeks as I add to this blog it is my prayer that God will use it how he sees fit. I will be writing as He lays on my heart. Be in prayer that I will remain confident in the call that He has placed within me. If you know someone who would benefit from a dose of God moments please share this blog with them. If you need someone to encourage you or just share moments and life along side of you reach out to me.

To those reading with me, bear with me as I embark on this call, on this dream,that God as given me for this season.

With Love & Grace,

Madeline