success vs fruitfulness: Being Fruitful in 2008

Elise and I did an overnight prayer retreat at a local catholic prayer retreat here in town - It was a fabulous time to pray, be still, share coversation,  be guided through instruction....one of the key areas for me coming into the new year was to reflect on the issue of being fruitful.   How contrary the fruit in our lives come to how the world says to be and become successsful -  Here are reflections that I recently read...

"There is a great difference between successfulness and fruitfulness. Success comes from strength, control, and respectability. A successful person has the energy to create something, to keep control over its development, and to make it available in large quantities. Success brings many rewards and often fame. Fruits, however, come from weakness and vulnerability. And fruits are unique. A child is the fruit conceived in vulnerability, community is the fruit born through shared brokenness, and intimacy is the fruit that grows through touching one another's wounds. Let's remind one another that what brings us true joy is not successfulness but fruitfulness."  Henri Nouwen

Comments

[greg Russinger]

nice... hope ur well

[tony sheng]

fabulous quote - thanks for posting it!