A Heart Harvest

I love the fall colors already displayed on the trees here in Virginia. They’re really stunning. I also like all the fruit that’s harvested and just the bounty of the Fall season. We’re blessed to have all seasons, -how we enjoy each one.

I think in our life we also go through seasons. Some are plentiful and beautiful, yet some seem so bare, like nothing’s really going on.

We love the part of our life when there’s a season of love, joy, peace, when we experience abundant kindness, patience, those days we have enough goodness, gentleness and self-control to soar. This is also a harvest, -a heart harvest, enabled by the Holy Spirit working in our life. (Galatians 5:22-23).

But what happens when instead of love we have seasons of un-forgiveness or hatred, if instead of joy we have depression, when instead of peace we have anxiety? How does it go on those days we’re so upset, there’s no ounce of kindness or gentleness left in us. How does it end, the days we experience a panic attack instead of self-control?

I say this very respectfully because I know how all this feels. I do.

I have had each one of these things happen to me, on different days when I was sick with Depression, Anxiety and Bipolar II. It wasn't pretty.

I’m really sorry if you’re going through this today. It’s bad. I know it is. It’s painful and frustrating to feel such strong emotions and not be able to control them. It feels like they drain our spirit and our mind. But these things sometimes happen when you’re sick. They even happen if you’re not. Everyone experiences them on some level, at some point. That’s the bad news.

The good news, and I testify to it, is that God can help us overcome these strong emotions, bringing back balance into our life.

He promises he makes everything new; yes -even our heart. He can give you hope again. He can give you the strength to overcome the difficulties in your life. He loves us through the process and helps us back on our feet. He cares.

He doesn’t condemn us for what we did wrong. If He did, nobody would have a chance, really. That’s not what he came for. He came so we could be forgiven and free.

In America, we’re blessed with so much bounty. But sometimes at the heart level we’re all out. We’re running on low emotional energy which doesn't reflect the bounty on the outside.

But God wants to give us a full life. A blessed one, full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. He wants to give us a full heart harvest of all these fruits.

You can ask Him to heal your heart. He will listen to an honest prayer. He did it for me. He can do it for you too. Just ask him for your harvest, -the heart one.

Have a blessed Fall Season,

Maria A. Mansfield

Author: “LIFE IS WORTH GETTING BETTER”