How God used the process of painting fruit to change my life

“The Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control...”  Galatians 5:22,23 ESV

This verse has a very special place in my heart!   God has used it often in my life to settle me; to redirect me; and at times, to bring conviction.  He also used it to change my life. In 1999, around the time people were preparing for Y2K, God was working in and preparing my heart in a life changing way.   

I was spending hours in our basement painting mailboxes and clay pots while listening to Christian Radio. The music and sermons were filling my mind. I was like a sponge soaking up words of Truth. I was taking so many notes to help me remember what I was hearing and learning. I had index cards all over the place with verses I had written down..with hopes that it would help me remember those verses.

Soon, those verses started showing up in my artwork on the designs I was hand painting onto the clay pots and mailboxes. I painted a grape design with John 15:5 and a fruit design with Galatians 5:22 & 23. The pots with those verses became very popular! I was painting them over and over and even painted the Fruit of the Spirit design on a door and on several walls.  

He was using that design to bless my family financially, but He was also blessing me spiritually. I had been trying so hard to remember the verses and quotes, so imagine my thrill and delight when I finally realized I wasn’t having to look those verses up anymore!  I had memorized them!  The repetition of writing the verse on the painted artwork had helped me also write them on my heart and renewed my mind. I will forever be grateful for that season of working in the basement! It was life changing.   

I experienced, first hand, the power of whatever it was that I listened to regularly had on my mind and my heart. And, it just overflowed into all areas of my life…even onto clay pots!

That overflow could be considered fruit.  The fruit of spending time in His presence, filling my mind with His Word and the fruit of being filled with His Spirit began showing up in my life:  Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control were becoming a real part of my life.

There are other reasons this verse is so special to me, but the lessons learned in the basement are enough to make me so happy that this is our focus verse for June!   Let’s surround ourselves with beautiful reminders of His Word!  It’s life changing!   

Do you have people in your life that you need to remind them how special they are to you?   Send them some happy mail!  There’s plenty inside for you to share!

Spreading this kind of fruit doesn’t get bruised or go bad!

- Pam

P.S.  If you want to learn how to use lettering to help you memorize scripture and write it on your heart, let me know!   I would be honored to teach you how over in our Creative Hearts Studio!   And our June Painting lesson will be painting fruit.