Thinking on Fruit

 

In the world of creating habits, the 21/90 rule is a guideline suggesting it takes 21 days to form a new habit and 90 days to make that habit a permanent lifestyle change by encouraging a person to start small, sticking with a goal for three weeks to build the habit, and then continuing for another three months to solidify it as a part of your life. 

Day 37. I’m beyond the “21 days” and starting to understand why crutches feel normal, how I’ve fallen into habits with my daily routine, and also now with getting back to work, seeing 2-4 people on the days I work using the knee scooter. I’ve thankfully found ways to make it work. My goal is to not make the majority of the changes I’ve needed to make over the past 37 days part of a 90 day permanent lifestyle change, but maybe there are some things I’ll take forward with me. Only 10 more days and then hopefully another good X-ray and then I’ll be able to get back to some weight-bearing; even partially will be great! 

Something I have thought a lot about, especially this week in a world that is in so much turmoil, is how life can become routine, that I can just go through the motions without intention. Then things come in that disrupt the ordinary and it feels like our day-to-day becomes insignificant in light of it all. The tragedies that have happened this week in the world, the ugly words that have been spoken, the anger that has been in abundance, the hurt that is deep and I feel like I shouldn’t be focused on anything but the dark and the ugly. That somehow to focus on healing and the beauty that is still around me would be wrong somehow.

I have thought a lot about how helpless I feel to know just how to have a voice, to take a stand, to speak for those who don’t have a voice. I don’t have some big social media platform, nor do I feel like that is something I even want to strive for. Yes, I have this little blog where I share my thoughts, some insights, occasionally humor, and well, just the stuff of life that I want to remember. It’s my way of tucking a diary into the corner of the attic for someone to stumble upon; maybe someone will read what I write and be inspired, find hope or see life in a new way. 

I have thought a lot about Galatians 5:22-23, where Paul wrote about the “fruit of the spirit”. When I feel helpless to change the course of events in the world, to not even know where to take a stand or how, then I think about my own life and maybe I can make a difference in smaller, quiet ways by:

showing love, 

sharing joy, 

creating peace, 

providing patience, 

extending kindness,

being goodness,

remaining faithful,

treating with gentleness,

practicing self-control. 

I can still have an impact in the quiet, small ways that eventually add up. It’s like the pebbles in the dam that help hold the large stones in place. You need both to create a solid wall that does the work it’s asked to do. 

I’ve had more time to think these last weeks. December felt long (some days had to have way more than 24 hours), but as the days have gone by, I’ve created  some new routines, habits are forming. It’s not been a bad thing. I’m reading more, resting more, learning the art of contentment. Some of the fruits have especially come into play like patience, joy and peace. Maybe it’s time to focus even more on all the fruits I want to have available to harvest in my life, not just for 21 days, but for 90 and beyond. 

Onward. 

Love, Dianne