"No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; for each tree is known by its own fruit."
It has been said, "There are no little things." Often, things we regard as "little" may be of greater value than things we regard as "big."
Could the cup of water exist without the drop of water? Could an hour exist without thirty-six hundred seconds? And as we read in the Gospels, wondrous things can result from sharing even the tiniest crust of bread or the smallest sip of water.
A kind word in a time of need; a caring smile in a time of stress; a bit of encouragement in a time of frustration; a spark of hope in a time of despair; a gesture of understanding in a time of confusion -- summed in this line from a beautiful poem: "In a moment these better things are gone -- but there are a hundred ripples circling on and on."
We can't judge which good and well-intentioned deeds, large or small, are genuinely worthwhile. It is not for us to judge which actions, large or small, are of enduring value. Hence the introduction line to this post: "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; for each tree is known by its own fruit" (Luke 6:43).
There is an old Jewish parable about a traveler who comes upon an older man planting a carob tree. "When will the tree bear fruit?" the traveler asks. "Perhaps in 70 years," the old man replies. "Do you expect to eat of the fruit of that tree?" the traveler asks. "No," the man replies, "but I didn't find the world desolate when I came unto it, and as my fathers planted (it) for me before I was born, so do I plant for those who come after me."
That parable proclaims the Good News that, as far as God is concerned, a simple act of selfless service is worth more than all the pious prayers or showy gestures of praise in the world. God is interested only in the story we are telling with our lives.
I often wonder what kind of a read my story will result in, not that there is much I can do about it now.
All I can say is Lord, have mercy on me a sinner!
A kind word in a time of need; a caring smile in a time of stress; a bit of encouragement in a time of frustration; a spark of hope in a time of despair; a gesture of understanding in a time of confusion -- summed in this line from a beautiful poem: "In a moment these better things are gone -- but there are a hundred ripples circling on and on."
We can't judge which good and well-intentioned deeds, large or small, are genuinely worthwhile. It is not for us to judge which actions, large or small, are of enduring value. Hence the introduction line to this post: "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; for each tree is known by its own fruit" (Luke 6:43).
There is an old Jewish parable about a traveler who comes upon an older man planting a carob tree. "When will the tree bear fruit?" the traveler asks. "Perhaps in 70 years," the old man replies. "Do you expect to eat of the fruit of that tree?" the traveler asks. "No," the man replies, "but I didn't find the world desolate when I came unto it, and as my fathers planted (it) for me before I was born, so do I plant for those who come after me."
That parable proclaims the Good News that, as far as God is concerned, a simple act of selfless service is worth more than all the pious prayers or showy gestures of praise in the world. God is interested only in the story we are telling with our lives.
I often wonder what kind of a read my story will result in, not that there is much I can do about it now.
All I can say is Lord, have mercy on me a sinner!
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