A little "fruit" for thought

So I was having one of those days where you look at your life in a brief snapshot, and I was feeling a little pity-filled for myself. My job is the opposite of great, my love life is less than noteworthy, my basement is leaking... I could go on but you get the picture. I was talking to God about suffering and asking my Lord for simple understanding in this storm. Don't get me wrong, I know He should be and is, in fact, enough. But He is also my daddy, which makes me His "little" girl. And in my infancy I wanted more... Sad, but true.

So I headed to bible study, tired and less than enthused. And God met me right where I was. The man leading the bible study was talking about discipleship, but the Lord was talking to me about my "suffering". Now I am no fool, I know there are people persecuted daily for worshipping Jesus, starving people, abused children, loveless lives scattered to the corners of the globe. But even with that knowledge it does not take the sting out of a bad day, or week or how ever long it has been. But once the study got rolling, I was reminded that we grow through our suffering, we find endurance, develop the personality traits that the world falls short of having and a bunch of other delicious ways God uses us even while we are drenched by life's rain.
As I sat there I realized that I have grown so much this past year, while under the oppressive leadership at my job and indifference in so many other areas of life. It made me think of the purifying flames of fire, the pressure needed to turn coal into a diamond and that God's love is so unfailing that it can come in so many forms, and we need not decipher them but simply trust in Him, always.

As the rain pours and my umbrella flips over in the wind I am reminded that in my life I have seen an increase of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And if it takes a downpour to grow these amazing blooms from the seeds planted in my life. Then I will smile and look to the sky with faith in the rainbow I have yet to see.

Galatians 5:22-23

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.