Do They Know Us By Our Fruit?

When in season, I love those little Halos and Cuties brands of mandarins. They are my “go-to” fruit, but at the end of spring, they leave the produce shelves. I’ve purchased other varieties since then and they just don’t taste the same and are even sour or tasteless. Who wants a sour or tasteless fruit? Yesterday morning, one of my scripture readings was this verse where Jesus famously said, “Therefore by their fruits you will know them” (Matthew 7:20). Their fruits? What did Jesus mean?

Our fruits are what define us. They are our actions, our values, and our persona that others know us by. Wise King Solomon wrote long ago, “Even a child is known by his deeds, whether what he does is pure and right” (Proverbs 20:11). If a child is known by what he does, what about us? Honestly, this post today comes from “the extremely hateful, ugly, nasty, mouthy, distasteful and sour” fruits that I’ve seen lately in some public speakers. Those who are saying things like “go ahead and mistreat those who don’t think like you think and act the way you act and who don’t agree with your philosophies and beliefs”.

There’s something to be said about those who bear that sour and tasteless fruit versus those who bear sweet and tasty fruit. This is the fruit that Jesus and I are talking about: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." (Galatians 5:22) The life of a follower of Christ should be bearing THAT fruit.

I know I must sound like a "fruit inspector" and the first fruit I try to inspect is my own. I ask myself "Instead of love, is there hatred and even prejudice in my life? Instead of joy, is there gloom and despair? Instead of peace, is there turmoil? Instead of gentleness, is there harshness? Instead of faith, is there fear and worry? Instead of meekness, is there pride and arrogance? Instead of self-control, is there lack of control and impatience?

In this recent couple of years, most certainly, we’ve been given all kinds of opportunities to decide. Is it love or hate, peace or anger, bitterness or happiness, crankiness or joyfulness? Remembering the scripture… "What the heart is full of....the mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45)? Doesn’t that give us pause for giving ourselves a good old fruit inspection?

When we opened our hearts to God, He walked through the door with a treasure chest full of everything we need to overcome and be successful in every area of our life. I clearly got the message "I'm not asking you to be their Fruit Inspector. I'm asking you to inspect your own fruit." That's when I know God is telling me to amp up that fruit in my own life -- to be sure that what my heart is full of, bears the Fruit of the Spirit qualities.

Back to my scripture verse from yesterday…..Matthew 7:20 – “Therefore, by their FRUITS, you will know them.” WOW – that’s how we’re recognized as devoted followers of Christ…or NOT. So as fruit inspectors, we, first, need to pass the test on the fruits we are bearing. It really is the season for "fruit bearing”. After all, as believers, we know Holy Spirit is in us so we already have the good soil, fertilizer, nutrients and everything else we need to be choice, luscious, sweet, refreshing, top quality fruit-bearers to a world that could sure use some.

Making Big Deals Out of Little Deals

Day 27 of Photo Inspirations --
Goodness -- I love these four cuties.  Yesterday was so very special.  That is my godson, Owen, on the left. He's my little cuddle boy. We sit together at church every Sunday and I get so many hugs and cuddles that I love so much. Burnedette, their sweet Mom, invited me over for a Mexican food lunch.  She didn't realize how much I love Mexican food, and, oh my, she knocked it out of the park -- everything was so YUMMY.  But, as most know, I celebrate moments like this day, because I always see them as "orchestrated" -- straight from heaven.

When a group of us were on a missions trip to Mexico back in October, I took lots of photos. That's because I wanted to cherish every moment I could.  And, also, while I was there, I saw a vendor making name bracelets.  I had him make one for my godson and his three siblings.  How perfect!  I get invited over for Mexican food and I get to go there bearing gifts and a computer slide show.  Before I gave them the bracelets, I showed them the photos from Mexico -- letting them see the precious kids there who had so little, but who had been given hope for their future because of loving and caring people that consistently pour into them that anything is possible.   And I wanted these four kiddos to know just how blessed they are.   At the conclusion of my little slide show, I gave them their bracelets.  Their Mom said, "See how much Miss Donna thinks about you -- even when she's in Mexico?"   And that's so true.  My own kids are in Washington and Texas, so having these kids in my life here in Tulsa is another gift from heaven.

Yes, I make big deals out of so many of the little deals that take place in my world.  I do that because I have only one life to live, and if I live it with appreciation, enthusiasm, passion, and making making moments special -- then my greatest reward will be knowing I may have left an imprint on someone's life.  It is absolutely worth the time and effort to make our day count for what matters most.  We'll never pass this way again.  Why not leave some crumbs along the way.....that just might cause others to know that those crumbs may point them in the right direction to go.