My most deficient fruit...

After meditating on how I should go about this, I have decided to start with the fruit I need the most. Just like if I was deficient from a particular vitamin, I would take that one first. So, I am starting with gentleness. To me, gentleness means: soft, sweet, sometimes stepped on, not authoritative, sometimes weak. I feel like a strong person, and I am not sure how gentleness fits in. In my mind, being gentle will allow for the kids to run the house and for my husband to run our family into the ground. But this is not so. The Greek lexicon describes gentleness as moral kindness, integrity, benignity (kindness or tolerance toward others), and kindness. The root word in the Greek is chrestos which means fit, fit for use, useful; virtuous, good; manageable; mild, pleasant (as opp. to harsh, hard sharp, bitter); of things: more pleasant, of people, kind, benevolent. Ok. So that has not been me, at all. Sure if have times I feel useful, maybe good, I feel like I have integrity. But the way I have been behaving in general with my family lately has not been like this. I like "mild, pleasant (as opposed to harsh, hard, sharp, bitter.) " Dingdingding, we have a winner! I am guilty of being harsh. Harsh in my words, harsh in my tone, harsh in my reactions. When someone asks me for something, "roarrrrr", chew you up, spit you out, "why do you think you have the right to annoy me"- is my response. This is not "pleasant, kind, or benevolent." I feel like a prickly cactus when I really need to be a soft, comfy teddy bear. Not to say I will not discipline when needed, but in general I will be welcoming, soft, loving and kind. My inspiration today is 1 Peter 3:4 "but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious." I want my actions to be precious in the sight of the Lord. I don't want to be seen as an iron fist by my family, I want to be seen as open arms to run to. So my mission for the day (and yours if you choose to accept it ;-) is to be gentle, according to the Biblical definition. Show everyone you come in contact with what it means to be gentle. I am sure going to try...