After leaving much that I had known and moving to a new place, I’ve been thinking about Galatians 5:22 a lot lately. Here, Paul describes the fruit of the Spirit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, and faithfulness.
I’ve found myself surrounded by people who personify these qualities and who expect to find them in others. What I’ve found amazing is that, like so many of our behaviors, we’re influenced by those around us.
I am kinder because I’m surrounded by people who are unselfish and thoughtful. I am more generous because generosity is a way of life among those I’m surrounded by. I even feel twinges of faithfulness where my heart had been hardened because I see the goodness in people daily. I thought I gave up everything for a job. But as it turns out, I gave up everything for community.
This is an excerpt from “Leap” by Amber Leberman, in the June 3, 2013, issue Café. Please keep Women of the ELCA voting members in your prayers as they make decisions during the Eleventh Triennial Convention, Aug. 3-5.
Daily Grace has been offering you things to ponder and things to pray about for more than 10 years. For free. Women of the ELCA provides many other free online resources, too—see welca.org/resources. Please support Women of the ELCA at welca.org/give.
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