Our daughter fell on the tile in her kitchen floor and dislocated her kneecap. In addition the ligaments securing the kneecap were torn. For two weeks her only means of walking was with cumbersome crutches. Her knee began to heal and she graduated to a knee brace for which we were grateful.

Meanwhile, with two young children, clothes still needed to be washed and dried, and food prepared for their meals. Seven year-old Brooke became her mother’s helper. While dad was at work, Brooke and I would wash clothes and dust furniture so that mom could rest her knee and let the healing process continue.

One day as I was busy with something else Brooke said to me, “Grandma, I am standing on my head in the washing machine!” I peeked around the corner and there she was with her stool pulled up to the washer and reaching her little arms way down in the machine to get the clean clothes. She appeared to be literally standing on her head to help her mother who had an injured knee.

We praised her for being so sweet and kind and doing those helpful things. It showed us that she loved her motherly dearly.

I thought about how much it pleases God when we as his children do good kind things in our everyday walk with Him. Joy, love, goodness, kindness and other fruits of the spirit flow from our having a right relationship with Him. If we want these fruits of the spirit to grow in us we must know Him, love Him, and imitate Him.

Because Brooke loved her mother she would stand on her head in the washing machine to remove the clothes and get them ready for the dryer.

If we love our Lord in the way He desires for us to do, we will join our lives to His. Then as the Holy Spirit controls our lives we will show our love to our neighbor through the fruits of the spirit, and that will bring much praise and glory to God.