Confession

A couple of weeks ago during our family prayer before bedtime Matt prayed,  "Help us to show you to other people." When he was done he asked our kids if they knew what that meant. They remained quiet thinking through the answer. I asked them if they knew what the fruit of the Spirit was (Galations 5:22-23) and was pleasantly surprised when Gracie started to list the different qualities of the fruit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (props to our wonderful kids program teachers at North Central for impressing this truth into her precious mind)

We discussed how we know that if we see apples on a tree it is an apple tree, that if we see oranges on a tree it is an orange tree and that if people see the fruit of the spirit in us they will know we are God's trees. It got really silly there for a bit. Picture this mom waving her arms around and the kids laughing it up. We had a serious discussion about whether my fingers were the fruit or the branches...it got real!

It's funny how discussions with my kids and teaching moments for them flow into a time of learning and growing for me as well.

I started BSF this year and we are studying the book of John. I have read and studied this book before but BSF has been taking me deeper. It has turned my focus to Jesus and my life in relationship to Him. It has allowed the spirit to convict me of things in my life that need to change. I am human and I fall short daily. I forget to love the people around me, I trade joy for frustration and discontentment, I am impatient with my children and I let my lack of self control rob my peace, I am not always kind to the people closest to me, sometimes my thoughts are far from good and my gentleness turns into harshness, I succumb to pride and forget that my gifts are from God and I am nothing without Him.

 I think, even as a faithful follower of God, I forget that all I have is His. That all I do is for Him. That all my fruit should point to him.

In John 3:22-36 Jesus came to baptize many people as John the Baptist had been doing before. John the Baptist's disciples were envious of Jesus and they thought John might be too. But his reaction was not one of pride or envy. He was so humble. He was overjoyed that Jesus was coming to fulfill the promise. He said, in verse 30, "He must increase, but I must decrease." I can't get those words out of my mind. My focus is shifting. God is working in me in places I hadn't realized I needed Him to before. This walk is not one that is ever done and I am thankful for that. I am Thankful that God will not leave me where I am but calls me to come and learn and grow and share and experience the peace and joy that comes from knowing and following Him. So if you have a mind to, please pray for me. That I will decrease and that He will increase.