Good morning…
“Sue,” she texted yesterday. “It struck me in your speaking about kindness in this morning’s blog – I wonder if you have seen the billboards with Dolly Parton. As I was driving back from the beach there was a horrendously congested intersection of construction – with long lines of cars and trucks – everyone doing their human thing – jumping in front and cutting others off – it was just chaos! Then I looked up, and I saw this billboard as we were sitting in the traffic. I thought, This message is soooo exactly what we need at this place on the road. What perfect placement!”
What a symbolically perfect way to describe the place on the road where the world finds itself right now. Horrendously congested. An intersection under construction. Waiting in long lines. Everyone doing their human thing. Jumping in front. Cutting others off. It is just chaos!
We look up to see the Spirit speaking: “Find the good in everybody. Kindness. Pass it on.”
The Holy Spirit produces a different kind of fruit: unconditional love, joy, peace, patience, kindheartedness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. You won’t find any law opposed to fruit like this (Galatians 5:22-23, VOICE).
The footnote here reads: “As free people, the Spirit gives us the characteristics of Jesus; we, too, can freely love in joy and peace. We can have patience along with kindness and faithfulness that can only come from the Father. We can reflect the goodness of God while being gentle in operating with self-control. For those who follow Him and live in the Spirit, these characteristics or fruits are a gift from God. As we grow in the faith, we find that we belong to God and can walk daily in the Spirit.”
…and we can drive daily in the Spirit, the Spirit who gives us kind characteristics of Jesus.
…Sue…
