Sunday Reflections

This morning, I went for a walk in the rain. My feet were soaked through within the first minutes of walking, but I kept going. It was such a refreshing way to start my sunday. Coming home, showering and curling up with a nice novel near the warmth of the fire, in a silent house, is just the way to spend a sunday. 

Reflecting, spending time with God, reading my devotional, bible and writing in my journal... and I guess just really being at peace is such a thing I find rare in my life. My personality is very hard to foster moments where I am not thinking of the next thing to do, to achieve or the things that I know I will have to deal with. My mind is always racing, deep in thoughts and worries...and frankly- its so tiring. I know I am not the only girl out there that feels like this, and I know also that we all have different personalities that make us tired, worn out, and feeling overwhelmed with the things we want or think we need to achieve and succeed, 24hours of the day.

I think I need to slow down. With everything! I don't think God wants us to be tired and overwhelmed, but at peace and joyful in every moment that He gives us to experience....

I am always so quick to think, to act and to do...most times without even considering or reflecting on other possibilities and just experiencing things to the fullest, in the moment. I need to go slower. I also need to grow slower- I think walking on a journey with God is about taking time to feed and weed, sow and grow...foster change and intention- but certainly not all at once. I think the more I read, the more I engage and gain understanding of ways I want to change, to grow and to experience life the way God wants- I feel it has to be now, now, now! But it doesn't happen overnight. God walks with us in a journey of growing and changing...and loving. So why do we feel like we fail if all this takes time and requires a whole lot of patience and perseverance? 

I have started to look at the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) with my younger sister in a bible study, and I am really challenged by the reality that these nine fruits are things that God grows in us, through time and through different experiences, whether hard, suffering situations, or joyous, encouraging moments. ....

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentle-ness & self-control... 

These are fruits of the Spirit at work in us, of God growing and feeding and changing us to be more like Jesus in every way... 

and I suppose fruit doesn't just appear on a tree overnight? It takes time, patience, and a whole lot of love to produce something that is beautiful, something that can be a blessing for others.