Here is the second in our series on the fruit of the spirit. This week we explore peace and joy. Here are the fruit to colour and add to your bunting: Peace & Joy Don't forget the Thankful thought for the grown-ups posted below the video for your to read. Blessings of Peace and Joy to you all. Love Claire xxx
Thankful Thought : Peace & Joy : 25th June 2020 : Mark 4 v 39, John 14 verse 27, Acts 16.
Peace is difficult to find as a parent of small children. One of my favourite books on parenting is called – “Aren’t they lovely when they are asleep!” The trick to survival is finding inner peace that holds throughout the storm. One way of doing that is remembering when you sense your boat is beginning to wobble, to wake Jesus up by praying! Little arrow prayers asking for peace are all that is needed in the moment. Then when they are asleep take a moment to soak in the spirit and reconnect with the peace that Jesus describes in John 14: 27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” I love that this verse comes straight after this from Jesus :v26 "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” Reminding us that this Peace is a direct result of the action of the Holy spirit in our lives.
Joy I find easier to find around small children- I still do that is one of the great joys of my job and one of the things I am missing most in lockdown – teenagers do not exude the same kind of joy! There is nothing better than that belly laugh of a small child often generated by the oddest of things. They see the world so differently to us and still see it’s funny side in things we have long since taken for granted. I remember one of my sons asking why his Grandpa had his hair on upside down and then laughing about this for ages. His Grandpa is bald with a beard – so yes indeed his hair is on upside down!
The fruit of Joy is also a fruit you can chose and in choosing to be joyful you can change the whole situation as we read with the story of Paul and Silas from Acts 16. In order to choose joy it is important to beginning by praising God – thankfully lifting up his name and joy seems to be the reward for this kind of worship. It is as if your praises break through to heaven even if you begin them feeling far from joyful and as they break through some joy leaks out of heaven and you get blessed by it. Try it – and report back! As I shared in the video, music especially worship music changes the mood – try singing in the face of a tantrum or popping on some worship music to do the cleaning or generally lift the mood of frustration in the locked down home.
Blessings of peace and joy to you all, Love Claire xx