Read
But 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
Reflect
Today is an important day for me, and it might be for you, too. That is, if you enjoy going for walks in the Hundred Acre Wood.
On August 21, 1920, a woman named Daphne gave birth to her son, Chris. It was the only child she and her husband, Alan, would have, so they tried to make sure he had a joyful and happy life. He always had lots of playthings to keep him happy, and each one had its own name. But the most special one was a bear … named Winnie.
Of course, Alan is A.A. Milne, and Chris is Christopher Robin. Milne’s son and his toys became the inspiration for a beloved series of stories that have captivated the world for almost 100 years. I grew up on these stories. My favorite toy when I was a little guy was a Winnie the Pooh stuffed animal. We had at least one Winnie the Pooh book at home, and I saw every movie. When I became a parent, I made sure to watch every new movie involving Winnie and his friends with my own daughter.
The stories about the characters in the Hundred Acre Wood are treasures, in part because they’re so wholesome and good. They teach core values that every child (and adult) should learn, and they encourage everyone to be happy and have fun. Some of the lessons you would learn from reading about Winnie the Pooh are:
- Love is important, and it requires sacrifice
- Take pleasure in even the little things
- Try to get along with everybody
- Don’t be in too much of a hurry
- Kindness is the best gift
- Reach out to others and be decent to them
- Be there for your friends
- Show consideration for how others feel
- Have the right priorities
In reading that list, you probably didn’t notice, but each one of those items is tied to a fruit of the Spirit — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. There’s no indication that Milne was an overly spiritual man; in fact, there’s every indication that he was at least a bit distant from organized religion. But he created a literary world that wholeheartedly embodied good and godly qualities, and it taught them — intentionally or unintentionally — to millions of children. And it’s still teaching those qualities today.
Life can be very hard and challenging, and it’s all too easy to become cynical and even jaded as we are bombarded by news and images of things that used to be unimaginable. But we have to realize that God knew that days like these were coming. That’s why He gave us His Spirit so that we wouldn’t just survive the tough times but that we’d thrive in the midst of them. So when those challenges come — and they will — try and be a little more like our favorite bear. Make sure to keep the fruit of the Spirit active in your life. And maybe eat a little honey while you’re at it.
Reflection copyright © 2021 Doug DeBolt.
