This weekend, I went out and bought a bouquet of beautiful burgundy Alstroemeria.  I brought them home and put them in my living room.  And now, I have spent a few days moving them from surface to surface in order to chase the light as it comes in various windows.  They look so lovely with the light shining through them, and it seems so little effort for such a large payoff to move them to where they are the most showy.

After realizing what I was doing, I began to wonder if there isn’t something important about this small action.  Many are facing hardship in this new year.  Decisions to be made, issues to resolve, losses to face.  Some have joys to celebrate and successes to remember.  But in all these things, I find myself more and more drawn to the listing of the fruit of the Spirit in scripture – those signposts of a life lived in obedience to Christ – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control.  Whether we are celebrating the joys or trying to stay the course through the challenges, these are the characteristics we are called to strive for – the fruit of a life impacted by the deep love of God.

It seems to me that striving to bear good fruit in our lives as a response to God’s deep love is a little like chasing the light.  That through the light shining on and through us, we become a little more transparent and far more beautiful.  And our being becomes simply an avenue by which the Light is made more glorious.  I think it’s worth the effort.