11/19/2019 0 Comments GentlenessGentleness22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Gal 5:22-23
I wrote this Sunday afternoon, and never bothered to post it. Gentle reminders today made me realize I was already backtracking on a word God gave to me last week. I will do what he says, when he says. Period. No time to tarry! When I left my home for my Sunday run, I was in an odd mood. I knew I needed the exercise, but I really didn’t want to go. I had the sluggish motivation of grumpy fat woman training for a 5K. Wait! I am a sluggish fat woman training for a 5K. This explains so much! I proceeded on the two mile trek I like to take around the local park near my home. It was during this time that my heart opened to a truth that I seem to have missed. The day was sunny, but chilly. Luckily, the wind was down so the allergens were minimal and the air was brisk, and not too cold. As I drew closer to the park, I realized that I wasn’t the only one in the area that thought today was a good day to be outside, lots of families were gathered at the little play area I had brought my kids to when they were little. In all of my years in this community, I don’t thinkI have ever seen so many families at this park at this time of year. Spring and summer can be busy, but a brisk fall afternoon seems to scare away most people, not today. Surprisingly, most of the children were very young, 5 and younger, and I didn’t see any older kids on the nearby basketball courts or playing fields. As I watched the interaction with the kids and the adults that were supervising them, a calm came over me. Small children bring out a tender compassion in most people and the gentile spirit of the area was noticeable. It was so serene. The kids played and giggled, the parents or grandparents smiled lovingly, and even the dogs that were out for walks seemed agreeable. It was peaceful. I wondered if I had wandered into an alternative universe of some sort. My path took me past the play area and into the local arboretum. I circled through the trees and thought about the peaceful seen I had just witnessed. The one word that came immediately to mind was gentle. It was a gentle scene. Gentleness graced the actions of the people who were interacting with each other and the conversations that traveled in the breeze. Suddenly, I was seeing an aspect of life I had so often brushed off as unimportant in a whole new light. I know that gentleness is an aspect of the spirit. I have sung the songs and taught my kids about the qualities that a spirit filled person should have and I know that gentleness is listed among them, but I never really considered its importance because gentleness just doesn’t seem to get things done. Now I see, that’s not its purpose. When I saw and felt the gentle beauty of the children and people, I was struck with the feeling I had been missing something. I have denied the importance of being gentle in my everyday life. Gentleness was always something I relegated to dealing with children and puppies, what adult needs gentleness? I now realize all of us do. As I talked to God about what a gentler life might look like and why it might be important, he brought up memory after memory of my own kids playing at the park. Normally, trips of nostalgia end up with me wallowing in regret or guilt. I always see what could have been, or what I wish had been, and I don’t allow for grace to cover my mistakes. Today, God gently reminded me that parenting was never meant to be a competition, it is a gentle period where we get to speak life into the beautiful children we have the privilege to raise. Every time I look back and lament, I diminish my family and myself. As the wind whispered in my ear, I heard God say that I was the best mom I knew how to be when my kids grew up and now was the time to embrace the gift of the spirit that I largely ignored when it came to my adult life, gentleness. When I opened my mind to the truth of the importance of gentleness, the way it relates to the other parts of the spirit stood out. I had separated out something that was integral to the fruit of the spirit. I had strained out the sweetness of the fruit and then wondered why I had been left with a bitter taste on my tongue. The different attributes are intertwined and interdependent. You really can’t have one without the others. For years, I have said that I struggle with patience and self-control. Those would be the two that caused me the most trouble, but it’s not true. How much more patient would I be if I incorporated a little more kindness and gentleness into my life. I can’t be truly loving and joy filled if I’m also not gentle. I bet I would rock at self-control if I allowed gentleness to dictate my inner conversations and thought life instead of the harsh inner dialogue with which I sometimes struggle. I need all of it, every flavor of the fruit of the spirit, to fully function in the spirit. We all do. For me, this means accepting that a gentler tone and attitude will lead to greater joy and peace in my spirit. I am ready for the gentleness of God to wash over my harsher sides and rub away some of the resistant muck that has clung to me despite the change and growth I have seen in myself. Returning to the childlike gentleness I once had won’t be easy, but I believe it's necessary as I enter this next stage in my life. The time to act is now and the way I proceed is not with caution, but gentleness and an abundance of love. And I can’t exclude myself, I must be more gentle to the person I treat the harshest, me. So, no more self-deprecating humor (like the joke at the start), I am not really sure how I am going to entertain my family over the holidays, but I’ll figure something out. No more jabs at myself or sucker punches. I have to be gentle. I know this post is more of a personal one, but I believe the world needs a little more gentleness, a little more graciousness, a little more goodness. If we would all cut ourselves some slack and treat others with more gentleness, the world would feel the love of Jesus.
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AuthorI am a Christian, a wife, a mom, and a part-time basket case who wants to be a full time writer.
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