It was one of those days. My husband said something that set me off, and I teetered on the edge of insanity—as many moms do—trying to balance too much. Kids, home, ministry… the stress of holding it all together felt like a constant struggle. His words tipped me over the edge, sending me into a tailspin.
Instead of exploding with words, I did what I thought was the more mature option: I marched off to the kitchen and started slamming dishes around—my classic, passive-aggressive protest. Clank. Bang. Crash. If I was going to be upset, they were all going to hear about it—loud and clear.
Then, from the living room, a small voice pierced through my grown-up storm.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness…”
I stopped mid-slam.
Shalom
It was my five-year-old son, reciting the very verse we had been working on together—Galatians 5:22-23. The irony hit me straight in the heart. We had been talking about these fruits of the Spirit—memorizing them, coloring them, singing them. And in that moment, my five-year-old gave those words back to me like a mirror.
Elohim
In that moment, I was reminded not just of a Bible verse, but of the One who spoke it. Elohim—the mighty Creator of the universe, the God who formed the world with a word—is also the One who calls us to bear the fruit of His Spirit. The name Elohim carries the weight of divine power and authority, yet He gently grows these fruits in us like fruit on a vine. It amazes me that the God who split the seas and placed stars in the sky also speaks softly to a mother’s heart through the voice of her child.
As we draw near to Easter, the world stops to contemplate the events on the Cross of Calvary that shook history. He calls us to a deeper peace—not one that’s shaken by the stress of dirty dishes or energetic kids—but a peace grounded in the sacrifice He made for our sin.
“For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.”
— Colossians 1:19-20
This is the peace we pursue. Not something we earn, or manufacture, but something that was purchased for us—through blood, through love, through the cross.
May this Easter remind us that peace is not a feeling, but a Person. The Prince of Peace. And He is with us—slamming dishes and all.
Thank you! what a heart touching message for a Mother, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother to hear and read. It will make me have a different (better) day.
Thank you so much for your sweet words. It is an encouragement to keep writing.
Thank you Katie, for being so transparent as a Christian wife and mother. I appreciate you. I need the reminder that HE is our peace in a world full of strife.
Thank you Lisa!
Thank you for sharing. I react this way also. I know I shouldn’t. As the saying goes, “Out of the mouth of babes.” We can learn things from our children. They are a gift from God. Thank you for your testimony. It is a blessing.
Thank you Renay!