When I think about the fruit of the Spirit, some fruits stick out more than others. They are all important, but love, patience, faithfulness and self-control are the ones that mean the most to me.
My husband and I, teachers at the small Adventist school, had recently been trained in CPR. But we never expected to use it beyond CPR class, let alone on our own son.
The text states that as I grow in Christ and my life is built on Him, then the natural overflow will be thankfulness, for the fruit of a mature Christian is thankfulness.
As the days went on, I proclaimed to family, “Praise the Lord, our prayers have been answered.” But on April 9, when she finally got the results back showing she was positive for COVID-19, my faith started to waver.
Jeremiah’s words were born during a time of national and personal crisis, when all hope seemed to have disappeared. His words mean even more to me now during my own personal health crisis. God has had a way to help me see His faithfulness every day.
We should not be afraid during this time, because, if we listen to God, then we will have the same faith that Daniel had when he was thrown into the lion’s den. We can trust in Him during good and bad times.
We are accustomed to saying “I’m fine” whenever we are asked how we are doing, when, in reality, we could be feeling angry, sad, confused and helpless—the complete opposite of fine.
As an African-American woman, I have experienced many losses through racism, sexism, classism and misogynoir. Of those losses, it has been the ones I have suffered within my faith community that have been the most devastating because they resulted in misperceptions of God.
