Becoming Fruitful ...
Sue Otte, Northeast Iowa Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
Back
to Organization page
"For becoming fruitful as the
result of a gift is the only gratitude for the gift . . ." --Meister Eckheart,
a 14th century theologian
I sing with a group of folks who put on a holiday concert each year at this
time. We just love to sing, and along with the instrumentalists and directors
we manage to have a great time and also raise funds for community needs.
One of my neighbors is always ready to help out when I'm trying to tackle a repair project that is really out of my league. He not only lends a hand, but does it with such grace and humor that I leave smiling and eager to try another project.
An old Scottish gentleman I knew when I worked in a care facility spent his mornings going up and down the halls, wandering in to visit fellow residents, often regaling them with a song. I can still see his eyes shining with the joy he felt when he was singing.
I think of a woman I know who has such a peaceful and warm presence that it is hard to be angry or judgmental when she is in the room. It is as if she causes you to realize how much better you can be.
You know them -- the people who have truly realized their gifts and spend their days bearing the fruits that come form them. They are everywhere. They are your friends, your neighbors, maybe even you.
This holiday season when you see all those gifts under the tree, remember also the gifts that are not there-- the gifts that have already been given to you. Perhaps Meister Eckheart was right-- that the only real gratitude we can show for the gifts we've been given is to become fruitful as a result of them.