Film executives chose King Vidor to direct the iconic tornado scene in The Wizard of Oz. By then, King had already directed. But it wasn't his technical skill or expertise that stood out the most. It was something more personal. People knew King survived the 1900 hurricane that devastated Galveston. He talked about it a lot. Why wouldn't he? It's still our nation's deadliest natural disaster.
King, then, didn't just know about storms. He had been in one. He knew the terror, the wind and the aftermath. That experience gave him a unique perspective that only he could provide for the scene.
When the apostle Paul talks about the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5, he isn't offering a list of personality goals. He's highlighting what happens when we allow the Spirit to shape our lives. When people ask me how they can know if they're following Jesus, Galatians 5 is a text I point them to. Are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control visible in your life?
But notice something else Paul says. The fruit of the Spirit doesn't just fall on you. It grows within those who "have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." That's not soft language. Talk about a storm! That means wrestling with the old you. Giving up the old you. You know, the one who isn't always that loving or patient. 
When you decide to crucify the flesh, spiritually speaking, you understand more the fruit of the Spirit. You see how much better it is to live with and to share. Think about your experiences with anger, hopelessness, chaos, cruelty or unfaithfulness. Those are never good times. They are, so to speak, part of the storms we face. And God takes what we've experienced and directs us to see and know and experience the power of the Spirit.
Stay blessed...john | 
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