Fruits of the Spirit

A favorite lesson of mine to teach throughout the year is the meaning of the fruits of the Spirit. We pull out our small basket of 9 different plastic fruits and pick one of the fruits we’ve decided it represents - from love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness to goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. And then the questions begin… what do you think this fruit means? how does it help us to be more like Jesus? how can we share this fruit with others? So many good things to talk about!

There are wonderful opportunities to reinforce these fruits with real-life examples just in the span of a preschool morning. As you can guess, the fruit of Patience is one that could be visualized and modeled most mornings as children learn to wait for a turn with a toy. Or to wait on when it’s time for snack or playground. Yes, patience is a good one to remember and practice. 

Just like the visual of a basket of plastic fruit, a story can teach as well. 

This delightful book, Maybe God is Like That Too, by Jennifer Grant was a gift for our class from one of my precious preschoolers. Through the eyes of a little boy, we are treated to how we all can see God. Throughout his day, the little boy sees what the different fruits of the Spirit look like in the actions of those around him. By the end of his day, he can now imagine what God is like through all these beautiful signs of His Spirit. And best of all, he desires to “be like that too.”

This book is just another beautiful reminder - the gift of a story to not only entertain, but to teach and shape little minds.

And for me, when a story captures the meaning of a lesson, it can weave all the pieces of a lesson together. And when they’re woven tight, they can be remembered in our hearts as well.