Fruits Of The Spirit…

This past Monday I had the privilege of leading the Ladies Bible Study. We are beginning a series on the Fruit of the Spirit. Equipping and teaching what it means to walk with the Fruit of the Spirit. I am looking forward to watching how we will all grow and be built up in this time.

Leading up to Monday was a bit of challenge and I felt attacked from all sides, but in those moments I found the message I was to bring to the ladies. Don’t you just love those teachable moments…I’ll be honest the past few days I wasn’t saying “thanks for this moment and thanks for that moment”, in fact it was more like, “I am walking home Lord!”.  Even in that moment He tenderly and gently calmed my spirit as I took a deep breath and cried out “Jesus!” Sunday worship was beautiful just worshipping with so many new people in the church. It has been so nice to see the little thatched roof courtyard full of people excited to be there to worship. It is such a different atmosphere compared to when I came first  in Aug. You sense the Spirit of the Lord in this place and this Sunday encouraged my heart.

I was working on an outline for Mondays’ lesson which was an introduction to the Fruit of the Spirit. I was trying to come up with some object lessons to go along and I was getting a bit anxious. When I woke up Mon. morning I still was blank…then it came to me when I was teaching the girls. Play Doh…to talk about our heart and how God is the Potter and we are the clay. The second object lesson came in the way of experience that afternoon at lunch when Pierre and I had a miscommunication with one another which led me to walking away into the kitchen, sitting down and trying to sing and pray. That didn’t work so once again…deep breath, “Jesus”! Just at that moment Pierre walked in and we talked it all out. Isn’t this how the body of Christ is suppose to handle miscommunication and conflict. Are we not to speak to one another in truth and in love? Good experience and good lesson for us all.

Lastly I had showed up at the church early to just prepare my heart and I looked down at all the rocks and found one beat up, ugly ragged rock, filled with cracks and crevices and right by it was a smooth stone with  no cracks or crevices. The ladies began coming in (on Haitian time:>)  and then we decided to begin. The Pastors wife opened us up with song and Pierre opened with prayer. The ladies looked pretty worn out and tired so we began with a song that broke the ice for them and me. We sang head, shoulders, knees and toes. We were all smiling and laughing and it was just what I needed to connect with them.

I began to explain what we would be discussing  in the weeks to come. I asked what it meant to live by the Spirit and what part of the body the Lord changing. I began to use the object lessons the Lord so faithfully gave to me. They loved that. When I broke the play doh and asked them if their heart had ever been broken and to see their faces say yes and then to tell them the Lord brings joy and peace and love into our hearts to heal that break…to fill those cracks and crevices. I heard a resounding Amen! I spoke about how my brother Pierre and I brought peace back into our relationship that very day. How we talked it out and didn’t hold it in so that our joy and peace would not be broken. Amen! I showed them the rock that wasn’t so beautiful and reminded them how we can harden our hearts and quench the Holy Spirit if we don’t walk in His truth with love, kindness and gentleness. Do we want a heart that is smooth like the other stone?

Lastly I spoke about how we were dead in our sins and just like Lazarus Jesus is calling us to “Come Out”!!! To be alive in Him!!! He saying “walk with me, follow me, listen to me, talk to me, be filled by me with all the fullness and power that the Fruit of the Spirit can bring.” AMEN!!!  I asked them if today was the day they would choose to walk in the Spirit and not by themselves trying to do things on their own. Did they need more love, joy and peace in their day or with their husbands…Did they need more patience, kindness and goodness with their children and friends….Were they faithful, gentle and self controlled with their neighbors or those who don’t believe?  An exciting Amen Yes!!! Lastly I asked and we discussed what changes they could make this week to live more by His Spirit? We discussed being in fellowship with other believers. We talked about being in worship on Sunday morning and in Bible study. We talked about times of prayer and that we can call out to him every minute, every second of the day. He is ready and available to listen to us and He hears us. It was exciting to hear the examples they were sharing and asking about. Great conversation.

It was a great time with these ladies and I am thankful for the opportunity to have shared with them in this way. I am grateful to a loving Heavenly Father who will allow me to go though the challenges and frustrations and yes the heartache to teach me more about walking in His Spirit so that I can share with these beautiful ladies and those He places along the journey. To see these lovely faces turn from faces that just looked tired and worn out to smiles and a spring in their step. Please pray for these ladies as they learn and grow deeper with the Lord and pray for Jody as she leads and teaches.

It is a great time to be in the Mole…Amen

~miss beth