by Commissioner Evie Diaz
Territorial Commander
The Fruit of the Spirit is joy! While joy is often described as a feeling of happiness and pleasure, it is deeper. It’s inner contentment, evidenced because of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives. Joy is not dependent on circumstances because of His presence in us.
In this series we are sharing how the Fruit of the Spirit is being expressed in the Central Territory. The examples of joy in this issue come from the holidays.
During the Christmas season I witnessed firsthand the joyful ministry of Captain Dalvius King and her staff at the Detroit Conner Creek, Mich., Corps as they met the needs of their community even though they were working in a temporary space and dealing with construction chaos.
In Kenosha, Wis., A/Captain David and Captain Robin Hamilton and their corps held a “Polar Express” event for families of children who had attended the corps’ summer day camp and National Night Out. They welcomed families to enjoy the movie with pizza, surprises, popcorn and hot chocolate, not only to make a merrier holiday but to keep them connected to the corps so those who don’t know Christ might find the source of joy for themselves.
In the North & Central Illinois Division, Captain Jessica Martinez shared, “As an immigrant in this country, it brought me immense joy to be part of the Thanksgiving parties held around the Chicago area for fellow migrants. Witnessing them relish their traditional Venezuelan food, singing Christmas carols, dancing and momentarily forgetting their life’s challenges filled my heart with joy.”
Stories like these are repeated throughout the territory not just during the Christmas season but throughout the year as soldiers, officers, employees and volunteers allow the Holy Spirit to work through them to share joy, especially when life is difficult for those we serve.
Share how you are experiencing and expressing joy in your community. Visit salarmycentral.org or email [email protected]
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
