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What do you think of when you see a dove? I think about peace. Just this morning while walking my little dog Caeser, I saw a dove sitting calmly on the hood of a neighbor’s car. Looking at Its’ restful position, I imagined that it was anointing the car with a special blessing. One that would ensure the family’s safety and peaceful guidance in all their travels. Of course, that was just my imagination. But I’m guessing that like me, many of you think about peace when you see a dove too.

Another thing that inspires peace for me is calm water. Ironically doves and water are often paired in the scriptures. There’s the story of Noah and the Ark when, after the storm, the dove returned with olive branches in its’ beak indicating things were once again peaceful. And in John 1:32, John  testified to what he saw when he baptized Jesus, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” 

As a professional artist who has painted many hundreds of pictures over the years, it has blessed me to commonly hear people comment that my paintings are serene, or “peaceful.” While I have never set out to paint a peaceful painting, it somehow comes through in my artwork. Some might say it’s because I frequently paint calm water scenes, but the other subjects I paint, also seem to emit a peacefulness. So, about fifteen years into my art career, I decided to use Psalm 23:2 as my signature theme on all my paintings. It says:”…He leads me beside still waters…”  

Galatians 5:22 says: “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such there is no law.” So, as I consider that peace comes from the Spirit of God, I can only give the Glory to Him for any, and all of the peace that may be reflected in my paintings. And this verse reminds me that the closer I draw near Jesus, the more peace I will have. It was that verse that inspired my poem, “The Fruit”, that you can download for free through the link at the end of this post.

This also brings to light something I touch on in my poem called “The Fruit,” where I say: “We can’t make this sweet fruit on our own, No straining or effort will make spiritual fruit be grown…” In other words, these qualities cannot be drummed up by our own efforts. No amount of striving, practice, or work can produce the true fruit that God’s Holy Spirit can. The only thing we can do to have more of that kind of fruit is to consistently stay close to the source—God. Titus 3:5 states that gaining these qualities is “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but through…the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.” In other words, we need to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. 

Even more exciting is the promise we see of several other wonderful qualities that come from God’s Holy Spirit. With all the turmoil, upside down woke ideas, hatred, anger, out-of-control people, violence, and crazy new laws manifesting in this world today, Galatians 5:22 gives us the best remedy and guarantees that “against such, there is no law.” 

 As a special “thank you” to all who join my email list, I’ve designed a beautiful rendition of my poem, “The Fruit.” This download printable is free to my current email subscribers, AND to all who register to receive my monthly emails. Click on this link: https://mailchi.mp/iriscarignan/fruit-poem-printable to get your free beautiful & printable copy of the poem. I hope it blesses you!

#poetry #fruit #Holyspirit #peace #joy #gentleness #Kindness #goodness #selfcontrol