Friday Five: Bursting with Fruit Flavor

It’s still Friday on the west coast so I thought I’d play the Revgalblogpal Friday Five. The challenge:

Galatians 5 describes the fruit of the Spirit. With all the sadness and despair out there, we certainly need it! So, the Friday Five is simple. Pick any five of the following attributes and go wherever the Spirit leads you... your choice! Suggestions: When have you experienced this attribute? When have you struggled with it? Or who embodies it for you?

Patience – God has certainly been patient with me. The other day I thought back to the big talk I had with my Dad when I decided I was no longer Catholic. I was probably 17 and I knew EVERYTHING there was to know about why organized religion was not something I needed or believed in. My Dad was disappointed and a bit angry with me. God was I think looking on, laughing and saying, if she only knew….

Kindness – I’ve always been one to lend a helping hand to a friend in need. But it’s really hard for me to ask for help. Case in point … I’ve managed to pretty much pack up my entire house and lug 10 car loads of rummage to church on my own, even though I had offers of help. I did ask a friend to help me with the 2 biggest items tomorrow. But when I was thinking of kindness, I thought of my friend Nicole and the night my Mom died almost 3 years ago. I don’t even remember calling her, but I must have. Next thing I know she was here in my apartment, at 2am, giving me a big hug and helping me pack for my trip back east. That moment was definitely of the Spirit.

Joy – Whenever the groovy sisters gather en masse, and I’m thinking in particular of the semi-annual province assemblies and annual Jubilee celebrations, the joy is palpable. You can taste it on the air. It pervades the air. I’ll probably never be able to dissect it, but I think it comes from the joy of being community together in a particular physical space and time to celebrate each other. My face always hurts after from laughing.

Love – I met my newest niece Julia last weekend. She’s 3 months old. She’s adorable. There’s just something about a new little one coming into the world, especially when they come into your world.

Peace – People keep asking me if I’m excited or nervous or anxious or happy or …. insert feeling here … about the big changes on the horizon. At various times I’m some and all of those things. But underneath it all is a deep abiding peace, unlike anything I’ve really experienced before. I keep expecting it to go away, but it’s still there. It makes it easier when I do freak out (like when I just got teary eyed driving home from hanging out with a friend, realizing I won’t be able to just call her up and go over in a few weeks).