Best of Fruits

A friend called me one day. Her daughter, who lives in another state, was planning to buy a house after getting married. At first, she considered a small condo, but my friend—thinking ahead to future grandchildren—recommended something a bit more spacious. In the end, the young couple bought a cozy two-story home with four bedrooms. On moving day, my friend and her husband boarded an early-morning flight, excited to see their daughter’s new house. The little girl who once giggled at “peek-a-boo” was now married and buying her own home—it felt surreal.

As they happily watched the movers unloading boxes, the daughter suddenly said something unexpected.

“Mom, Dad, we’re going to have a friend move in with us as a roommate.”

“What?”

The daughter explained that a close male friend from her college days had decided to move in. They wanted to reduce their mortgage payments, do barbecues together, and live like the characters in Friends. My friend and her husband were stunned. Anxiety and worry washed over them. No matter how they tried to reason with her, their daughter stood firm. Voices rose, emotions spiraled, and the night grew unbearably heavy.

My friend’s daughter had always been called an “umchin-ttal(a perfect daughter)”—the kind of model child everyone admired—and my friend had only ever been grateful for her. But this time, she was deeply shaken. As the evening passed, she began to feel hurt and resentful that her daughter had gone against their wishes. She pleaded, reasoned, and begged her daughter to reconsider, but the answer never changed. Eventually, she lost her temper and even threatened to cut ties, but the daughter remained unwavering. Heartbroken and furious, my friend left the house. She held onto a small hope that her daughter might change her mind, but the message was clear: nothing would change.

“This is our life. Please just watch over us.”

That one sentence shattered her heart.

Back home, my friend fell to her knees before God. “Lord, please take away the anger in my heart and give me wisdom.” As she prayed, she realized how little time she had actually spent with her children over the years. She had been running nonstop—for survival, for success. To her kids, she had shown responsibility more than affection, and she hadn’t truly lived out her faith before them. Yes, she attended church, but she had not been a mother who showed God through her life. Overwhelmed by regret, she wept until she fell asleep.

Then she had a dream.

A woman walked into a marketplace, and the shopkeeper was an angel with radiant white wings. When the woman asked what the angel sold, the angel smiled and said, “Anything your heart truly desires.”

With curiosity and wonder, the woman thought for a moment.

“Then give me the very best.”

The angel beamed and handed her beautifully wrapped boxes labeled:

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control.

“What wonderful things! I’ll take a bag of each!” she said.

But the angel gently shook her head.

“We don’t sell the fruit. We give you the best seeds so you can grow that fruit yourself.”

Overjoyed, the woman embraced the bag of seeds and walked out—only to trip on the doorstep. The bag ripped open, and the seeds scattered across the floor. “Oh no!” she cried as she scrambled to gather them—and at that moment, my friend awoke. It had been a dream.

She immediately realized its meaning: she needed to reconcile with her daughter. So, she wrote a letter.

“I should have spoken kindly, respected your thoughts, and prayed more before reacting. I’m sorry for showing such harsh behavior. You are adults now, and I trust you made your decision carefully. I pray that you’ll live well together and become a home that seeks God.”

A few days later, her daughter replied:

“Mom, even though we’ve grown a bit distant, I’ve always been grateful for everything you’ve done for me. I’m sorry for not discussing things with you first. I think there’s a generational difference between your time and ours.”

They reconciled. Nothing about the situation had changed, but peace settled in their hearts. My friend made a new resolution: it wasn’t too late to become a warm, loving mother and a true example of faith. She couldn’t stop her daughter from having a male roommate, but she would pray earnestly for God’s protection and grace over their home.

When we look around, we hear many stories like this—parents who oppose a marriage and grow distant from their children, families who spend years hurting each other. Life’s conflicts always begin with broken relationships. And who should reach out first? The one who loves more—usually the parents. But parents are human too, and their hearts don’t always soften easily. That is why we ultimately lean on God. Just because we cannot see Him does not mean He isn’t there—just like air. God is unseen, yet always with us.

We assume our hearts will grow more generous as we age, but somehow, we find ourselves hurt and disappointed more often. It’s painful to see longtime friends part ways over small misunderstandings. Ultimately, everything in life begins and ends with relationships. And at the center of all relationships is my relationship with God. When that relationship is set right, all others can be restored, and life becomes one that ripens beautifully with joy.

May we plant seeds of joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in the soil of our hearts, and look forward to the abundant fruit God will grow in us.

Another year is already coming to a close. As we grow older, we must stop postponing the important things. Especially loving more, being patient, embracing others—these things must be done today.

Reflecting on Galatians 5:22: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Amen.”

May your 2025 year-end be filled with warm love. Wishing you a joyful Christmas and a blessed New Year 2026! To all readers of Monthly Cleaner, we love you. Laugh a lot—ha ha ha! Thank you!