"The divine love of God reveals to us that fruitfulness is more important than success, that the love of God is more important than the praise of people..."
Fr. Henri J.M. Nouwen, "Sabbatical Journey" (as quoted in Give Us This Day)
It seems we spend much of our lives aiming for success, doesn't it? That was drilled into me by my Depression-era parents, who learned it the hard way. We must succeed! Success equals happiness! Now that I'm climbing down the success ladder, I see that fruitfulness IS more important. What I do in a day may only make a difference to one first or third grader, but if it is done sincerely, with a loving heart, it is more important than anything counting for "success" in my life. Another important aspect of this is that we may never actually learn the "fruit" of our fruitfulness. We may be long gone by the time a person we have impacted realizes that they were impacted. We may just need to trust God that, being in the right situation and with an ability to help someone, the result is fruitful. We may not see or feel we have made a difference, but we trust that God puts us where we are needed and a difference can be made. Yesterday was such an unusual day. I started with my volunteer job at a day shelter and ended at a lovely Boise restaurant. In between I read Winnie the Pooh to first graders. As I reflected on the day, I realized that I desire to be real in all environments. I desire to be fully present to all I encounter. I desire to love everyone. That is of God. That will be fruitful. Love, heidi
