Hello Friends,
I hope this update finds you all well. So much is going on around here these days it’s hard to narrow down just what to write about. Grace’s recovery, Cole’s upcoming surgery, new writing opportunities, Kayleigh’s big birthday bash, the new foundation coming online, work, life… sheesh – life is moving a warp speed! Yet there has been one lesson that keeps returning to my mind – in all we do we must bear good fruit.
If that doesn’t ring a bell to you, I’m not talking about apples, oranges and bananas. I’m talking about the fruits of the spirit. Specific spiritual traits that the bible tells us we will see in our lives when the Holy Spirit is the one in control of our lives.
Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
It’s a simple list, but is quite difficult to implement. Impossible if we are trying to do it on our own!
I found myself in need of a short bio for myself recently. You would think that would be easy – it was not. I have plenty of words to describe what amazing things the Lord has done in my life and in my family’s. But when it comes to me, frankly, I’m not really worth talking about. What’s worth talking about is Jesus in me. Because if He can bring this hard headed, difficult, opinionated, independent, stubborn woman to her knees, and redirect all that energy to His service, all the while increasing my faith – that’s worth talking about. That is where I can truly see good fruit growing in my life.
I am SO thankful for that fruit, but I must work diligently to keep it growing. It requires time alone with the Lord – praying, reading my Bible, studying. It takes work on my part. Because while a good tree bears good fruit, a bad tree bars bad fruit.
Matthew 7:17-20
17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 19 So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.
As I unintentionally find myself more and more in the public eye,my prayer is that I will bear good fruit. I know that all that I do reflects on Kayleigh, the Prayers For Kayleigh Foundation, and on my Savior. That knowledge comes with a hefty weight. Yet, I have no doubt God has a perfect plan, and if He has decided this is where I belong, then who am I to question?
I hope as you are reading this you’re thinking about the fruits of your own life. Things you may need to change or do different. Change always seems so hard, yet God will bless your obedience in beautiful, amazing, mind boggling ways.
Until tomorrow,
‘Carrow💜
Because this sweet baby matters, and I want nothing but good things attached to her name.
