Our little house in the town holds the record for the longest we’ve lived in any one home, six years, three months. Over the course of our marriage, we’ve either renovated or built eight times. In every yard, we planted flowers, shrubs, and fruit trees but we never stayed long enough to see the fruit of our labour.
I love my current backyard and micro acreage. The orchard stretches nine feet by ten, the garden four feet by sixteen, and the vineyard one foot by two (just big enough for two vines to grow over a wrought iron archway).
The vineyard produced its first bumper crop this summer (actually its first crop ever). I was so excited I arranged a still life and took a photo. I didn’t notice until afterwards the ladybug strolling along the edge of one leaf. In my excitement of gathering the fruit, I overlooked the bugs.
Could the same be said about my own life? Have I marred the gracious fruit of the Lord “…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control …” with an infestation of my own bugs?
Why should I love them, they don’t love me? Why should I be full of joy, have you seen my life lately? Why should I be patient, that person is so annoying? Why should I be kind, I don’t have the energy for it? You get the idea.
I can’t produce the fruit in my life any more than I can produce the fruit in my garden. The Lord can though, and He will. I must exterminate the bugs!
Lord,
I surrender to You my petty irritations and excuses. Please grow a bumper crop of Your fruit in my life.
Lisa
“For the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true.” (Eph. 5:9 ESV)
Have a wonderful fruit filled week!
Fool’s Notion: Week 10 Goal 160 Actual 122