Bearing Fruit
Step back at regular intervals to determine which of your
present activities can be scaled back or eliminated.Only then can you make way for something more fruitful.
~ Peter Drucker
Dear Friends,
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
On April 22, we celebrated our third annual Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast. Our volunteers are priceless and add immeasurable value to our shared experience. They exemplify a selfless spirit of caring, place the needs of others before their own interests, and demonstrate priceless generosity through their gift of time. As always, we’re grateful to Jean Stein for all she does to guide and facilitate our volunteer services.
Over each day of the weekend I had occasion to wander through the kitchen – and it was a busy, busy weekend. Birthday parties, receptions, concessions and full-service meals punctuated every moment of Saturday and Sunday; and I felt immediate sympathy and gratitude for Ross Klareich and the Food & Beverage Staff. Thank you for all you do, especially the constant care (and cookies) you provide to the Kroc Staff family.
For the past week I’ve watched the trees on campus be pruned and scaled back from eight years of (over) growth. Leaves, twigs, limbs and branches have been falling en masse. Things are looking pretty bare, and it’s easy to wonder if the trees will ever recover. But despite how things may look, pruning is essential for trees – especially those that are developing. It nurtures a strong structure and desirable form. Trees that receive appropriate pruning while they’re young require little corrective pruning when they mature.
Pruning isn’t only a matter for trees; it’s necessary for all dimensions of life. It’s necessary for the development of our character. Hurts, habits and hang-ups shape our behavior throughout the course of life. Left unattended, they siphon the energy we need to grow toward a meaningful harvest of blossom and fruit. It helps us grow through seasons of spiritual winter. Unnecessary extremities or excessivenesses are pared back to what is not only good, but essential and imperative. The heart is protected and preserved in anticipation of spring. It also helps us stay focused on the reason for our existence – to bear much fruit.
I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener.
He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.
I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy.
Yes, your joy will overflow!
Personally and organizationally, we do so many things because “that’s the way we did it last year.” We become so well adjusted to our culture, or norms, that we go along without thinking about them. But watching the pruning of our trees gave me pause to consider ancient wisdom, and ancient wisdom gave me pause to ask myself: What is most important?
Joy is the product of bearing fruit; and fruit is more important than untamed growth.
In Jesus,
John
