Fruit is a funny thing

Have you ever thought about the process of how fruit grows. We have a small orange grove next to our apartment complex. I run past it multiple times a week while out for a jog. I am absolutely fascinated by the fact that all kinds of beautiful fruit just hangs from the branches of these trees. I have become so accustomed to seeing tons of trees without fruit. Many of them are living, but they don't have apples or oranges hanging from their branches. Recently I was reading in Galatians and it says, "The fruit of the Spirit (meaning God's Spirit in the lives of Christ followers) is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control." Meaning this is the kind of stuff that should hang on someone's branches when they are a Christ follower. This is such a funny thing to me, because I meet so many people who follow Jesus that don't fit this profile. What is even more funny is that so often I feel so defeated when it comes to my level of peace and especially patience. I can remember multiple times in the last couple days where my self control level was low, especially when Stacie made a pumpkin spice pie on Thursday. The funny thing about fruit is that you can't slap it on the branches, it has to come within the tree. I want to slap on the fruit of kindness or patience, but really what it requires is a change within. The more and more I yield my life to Christ and allow him to change my heart the more the fruit of my life will reflect the fruit of the Spirit. May my life grow in the fruit of the Spirit as I trust Jesus to change my heart!