ZPCBlog

About the Author: Emily Etter has attended ZPC since 2019, with her husband, Nick, who grew up at the church. Emily serves as a leader in the Young Adult Ministry and volunteers with NextGen on Sundays and during VBS. She and Nick are also active in the Young Adult Home Group, where they have built many meaningful friendships. Emily works in Cardiometabolic Health Content Operations at Eli Lilly and Company.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5: 22-23

Every time I read “the fruit of the Spirit is…”, my mind doesn’t go to orchards or gardens. It goes straight to a room full of wiggly, wide-eyed toddlers and preschoolers. I can almost hear Miss Jennifer’s voice yell out: “Our next song is… Fruit of the Spirit!” And instantly the whole room erupts with tiny feet bouncing, arms flailing with excitement, smiles stretching bigger than seems possible on such small faces. Even before the music starts, the joy starts. Then Uncle Charlie sings that famous line: “The Fruit of the Spirit’s not a GRAPE!” and suddenly there are twenty little bodies rushing into tiny circles, spinning and laughing as they pretend to make bushels of grapes. If you stood in the middle of the room, you’d feel joy move through the air, brushing across every adult and every child. And honestly? I’m never quite certain who shines more, the Littles or the many grown volunteers standing in their midst, grinning just as wide.

Paul’s words in Galatians remind us that joy, along with love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, is evidence of God’s Spirit growing inside us. When I’m volunteering in that classroom, I see it. Joy isn’t something those children work to produce. It rises naturally, bubbling up from trust, from feeling safe, and from knowing they are loved. Advent invites us into that same kind of growth. It is the season when we remember that God’s light has come into our world and continues to shine, not only around us but within us.

This fall while attending the Great Banquet, someone asked me when I feel closest to God. I didn’t have to think long before I answered trying to explain the picture of me standing in the middle of the NextGen classroom, surrounded by a sea of young children singing Fruit of the Spirit at the top of our lungs, spinning into grape-circles, and watching them fist bump while hearing tiny voices say “Jesus loves you!” In those moments, God’s joy feels so real I could almost reach out and touch it. It glows in their laughter, in their unselfconscious dancing, in the way they throw their whole selves into praising God. Their joy becomes a guiding light and a reminder of what it looks like to welcome Christ with open arms, without fear and without hesitation.

As Advent continues, I’m reminded that this is what we are preparing room for: the joy of Christ breaking into our everyday lives. Just like the children in Sunday School, we are called to let his light shine through us, guiding and drawing others to him. Advent is a season of expectant waiting, of noticing the ways God is at work and making space for his spirit to grow in us. Whether it’s in laughter shared with children, a kind word offered to a friend, or a quiet moment of gratitude in the busyness of the season, God’s light is always reaching out, ready to shine through us. May we, like the Littles in NextGen, welcome Christ with open arms, letting his joy guide our steps, lift our spirits, and overflow into the lives of everyone we meet 

Activity

Choose one fruit of the Spirit you want to nurture during Advent. Write it on a card and place it somewhere you will see it every day. At the end of the day, pause and ask: Where did I notice this fruit growing in me today? Did I share it with someone else? If you want an extra dose of joy, listen to the Fruit of the Spirit song by Uncle Charlie.

Prayer

Jesus,
Thank you for the joy you bring through your spirit, through your people, and through the simple, radiant moments that remind us of your love. As we wait for you this Advent, nurture your fruit within us. Help us turn toward your light, grow in your joy, and shine that joy into the lives of others. Make us bearers of your hope and warmth in a world that longs for you.
Amen.

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