During a recent conversation with a dear friend, this profound question was posed to me:  “Beth, what fruits are you bearing these days in your new environment?”  WOW…what a way to start a powerful conversation!

My voice (literally and figuratively) has been somewhat silent this past year as I process, ponder, adjust, and adapt to new pathways for the future.  Settling into a new community, unpacking and purging bins and boxes, and organizing my dad’s daily world with his growing needs have consumed much of my time.  Some volunteer opportunities and a couple of short travel experiences have brought JOY to my days as well.  Re-consumption of favorite books, movies, music, and more have pushed the nostalgic buttons into therapeutic overdrive.  But ‘fruits?’  Then it dawned on me…”the ‘fruits’ of the spirit…” Ahhh…

This particular cross-stitch piece was one of the first I completed years ago under the watchful eye of my mom.  She started the project about the time I was carrying our youngest daughter; I finished it three years later. 🙂  For years the piece hung in a quiet corner of our kitchen as a daily reminder to bear fruit in the best possible ways.  These nine succulent “fruits” allow us to gratefully grow, nurture, and serve others from the heart and soul.  In these uncertain times, these “fruits” are the ones I strongly cling to and gratefully garden each day…

So, the question today:  How are you gratefully bearing fruit in your life?