That’s the first line of a children’s song my kiddos used to listen to in the car. (Remember those children’s cassette tapes and the way you had to rewind them with a pencil? Ha! But I digress.)

Anyway, it’s interesting how some of those songs shaped not only them, but me too.
In blogging, I occasionally focus on fruit of the Spirit. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22–23)

So here’s a story about patience. One morning, I woke up looking forward to a breakfast outing with my sister, but my husband needed help with a project and the help couldn’t wait. I was so frustrated. My outing was delayed by thirty minutes!

But then, as I drove there, a patience seed found its way into my heart. God reminded me of the millions of people who don’t have a car…or breakfast. And of my sweet husband who really did need my help.

Sometimes my fruit looks a bit rotten. Sometimes I react in ways I shouldn’t. Sometimes I fail to do something I really should do.

I guess the good news about fruit is that you can always bear another piece…and next time get the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control part right. We can learn from our mistakes.

And you know what? That Orchard Keeper really cares about us, instructs us about how to be, and through it all, has an enormous amount of…patience.