Which fruit is for you?

Towards the end of 2016 my husband shared with me what he was going to start doing each year and asked me to help.  He was encouraged to pick a Fruit of the Spirit at the beginning of each New Year and focus on that one fruit for the next 12 months.  Then, pick a different one the next year and so on.  He asked me, “out of all the fruits, which one do you think I should work on for 2017?”.

love.. joy..peace..patience..kindness..goodness..faithfulness..gentleness..self-control

Jason is a good guy.  He is kind.  He is loving.  He is faithful.  It was hard to choose one, as he is a little bit of all of them.  He ended up sharing this at church and we were all challenged to do the same.  Y’all, do you know how hard it is to really ask that question?

Out of all these fruits, which one do you think I need to work on?

I learned a few things in this process.  I don’t like to purposefully make people uncomfortable.  I don’t like negativity and I enjoy laughter.  Lots of laughter!  So when a conversation get serious I am ready to have it and move on.  I still laugh at Jason’s response.  He said “let me think about it”.  Umm, y’all thinking what I’m thinking…. OUCH!  Even though the conversation didn’t go as I had planned, I learned how important it is to ask others (that are willing to be honest with you) what it is like to be on the other side of me.  I actually have the chalkboard art at the top of this blog hanging in my living room right now.  There are 2 words that are highlighted.  PATIENCE and GENTLENESS.  These two words are what Jason and I are both asking God to work on in our lives for this year.  I figured if we focus on just one word, then the others will follow.  Patience is my word.  If I am more patient in the morning getting the kids up, then I will be more loving to them which only encourages them to have an awesome day.  If I am more patient in the car, then I will be kind to the crazy drivers or the awful traffic in the school parking lot.  If I am more patient, then I will be gentle with the basketball referees that make a bad call at my son’s games.  And if I am more patient then there will be an abundance of peace and joy in this home of mine that we call PERKOSPLACE.

So my challenge to you today, ask someone who will be honest with you, which fruit should I ask God to work on in my life for 2017?  Find the joy in their honesty with you and the adventure of becoming a better version of who God wants you to be.   With that, I close with the cheesy little song I learned as a kid about patience.

“Have patience, have patience. Don’t be in such a hurry. When you get impatient, you only start to worry. Remember, remember that God is patient, too.  And think of all the times when others have to wait for you.”