Fruit of the Spirit: Gentleness

Galatians 5:22-23

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.


Today I want to talk about gentleness. This past Friday night Avery, and I  all went to Relay for Life. Last year when I went to Relay it had only been about a month after Pop (my grandfather) had lost his battle to cancer. Emotional yes, but not near as much as I was this year. This year I wasn't still numb from losing Pop, but I felt like I had open wounds with someone squeezing a lemon juice in them. It hurt, it hurt bad.

As I wrote Nanny (my grandmother) and Pop's names down on the two luminaries, filled them with sand, set the candle down in them, and then placed them along the track reality set in about cancer. One survived and one died. (Nanny survived breast cancer when she was in her 40's but passed away last year from complications do to diabetes.)

As I stood around the track to watch the survivors walk I saw a little girl, probably about 4, no hair, no eyebrows, no eyelashes, but a huge smile on her face. I don't know if she has won her battle over cancer, but this day she was LIVING! Tears just flowed down my face to see all of these people walk so proudly! There were young and old. As I watched as each person passed by me, I held Avery in my arms and we clapped in celebration that these special people are alive! As we walked around the track we came to where I had previously sat Nanny and Pop's luminaries, and I cried, and cried some more.

As the night went on I was able to compose myself and enjoy the band and food. That's when it all really sank in why we were there. We were there to fight for our family members who had survived and those who had died. We were there to fight for that little girl who was being strolled around the track during the survivors walk. We were there to fight for the elder couple who both had survived cancer, we were there to FIGHT!

Hundreds of people surrounded us. Did you hear me, hundreds! People came out to support the cure for cancer. People who never knew my grandparents, never knew Papa, never lost a family member to cancer, but they came. They came because they care.

This is what gentleness is all about. Doing something to better others and not yourself. The bible says: "To speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people." (Titus 3:2)

Whether we are at Relay for Life or the grocery store, we should all keep in mind this verse. It's so hard sometimes to bite our tongues, but as Christians we must remember to be gentle. You never know what battle someone is fighting.