Always in Season

Good morning!

My friend Gemma and I have been doing a lot of praying and supporting each other over the last few years. Amazingly, even though our situations are different, they are also so similar. My mom has been walking my walk with me for so long and my husband stands firm and strong in his support of me. There are so many of you that surprise me all along the way and then I am reminded of the incredible way God provides just what we need along the way.

As I read through various parts of the Bible, it just keeps getting more clear that we are not to be living a safe, once-a-week-I-go-to-church checklist kind of life.

The overflow of our faith and walk with God should burst out of us in so many ways every day. Unfortunately, we don't see much of that these days.

I came to the part in Matthew where Jesus cursed the fig tree:

Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again" Matthew 11:13-14

It sounds kind of harsh at first glance, but this came on the heels of Jesus being at the temple and having to kick out all the people who were selling merchandise and doing foreign coin exchange, capitalizing on the crowds of people coming to worship God. They were not only inhibiting the people from worship but they were cheating them out of what God intended: for them to bear fruit.

Sometimes we get so caught up in our lives that we become religious in habit but have no real deep relationship with God and don't bear fruit. Jesus was making it clear that that is not what was intended.

As the verse says "Iron sharpens Iron." We need to be surrounded by people, or even just link arms with one other person, that hungers for what God intended! That is how we can see things change and the overflow of faith begins to happen.

With bold steps of faith, with a daily deep connection and conversation with God, you just can't help but bear fruit in whatever is happening right now.....not for some future day but right now. Don't wait for a better day to bear fruit. Jesus knew that fig tree wasn't "in season" and he cursed it for not bearing fruit!

I believe we are called to action NOW and not some day when we think it's our "season."

May we all have eyes to see and ears to hear what that means for us each and every day!

Whenever you send me a note, call me or just show that wink of support, I know that you are acting in season and not waiting to encourage....thank you for being God's hands and feet!