[To tell the truth, I wrote this out of the frustration of feeling that I’m
a “nobody”. So maybe my motives aren’t too pure. But, anyway …]
THE QUIET ONES: Don’t Ridicule Yourself
I am grateful for all the people, famous or not, who have influenced me for the better. Some are famous authors, speakers, etc., and many or most are Christian. Some are well-known within certain circles. Many of them, whom I might not know personally, have exhorted, pushed and prodded me to desire and reach for a holier and more God-honoring life. They are an essential part of the body of Christ.
But today I would like to write about what I call “The Quiet Ones”. They are not “leaders” in the strict sense of the word. They haven’t written books that thousands read. They don’t address large audiences. They might not, like Paul of Tarsus or Mother Teresa, be very well known. But nevertheless, they can have a huge influence.
I am thinking, in particular, of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Hardly anything is known about her. Very few words of hers are recorded. As far as we know, she was not followed by huge crowds. Yet, I think, most Christians would agree that her influence on the world was tremendous, because she allowed Jesus to live in her, both physically and spiritually.
Her life was on one of total submission to God and total humility. I believe that it’s because of her humility, her “nobodyness” in the world’s eyes (but submitted to God), that He chose her to be Jesus’ mother.
The things we do know about her show her deep humility. “Let it be done unto me” was her “Yes” to God. While it was certainly an intense joy to know she would be the Savior’s mother, think also of the courage and faith she had to have, to face the ridicule of an “unplanned pregnancy”. She could have been stoned to death. We could also probably write volumes about her husband, Joseph, another “Quiet One”.
Think of her praises to God, in the company of her relative Elizabeth. To praise God in such a situation, facing ridicule and social ostracism, she had to focus on the glorious reality of what God was doing in her.
Think of how she pointed to Jesus: “Do whatever He tells you”, which I believe as His first disciple, she herself practiced.
And think of how she stood by Jesus’ side, not only as He suffered excruciating physical pain, but the emotional pain of scorn and ridicule, and feeling abandoned by God. And of course, her unspeakable joy when He rose from the dead …
Yes, I am very grateful for all the “leaders” in my life, who have pushed me to grow and stretch for God’s kingdom. It takes great courage to put oneself in the public eye.
But please, if you are a “Quiet One”, don’t disparage yourself. You may be having a greater influence than you know.
clarakatalin 
The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree
The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree
(Luke 13:5-9)
In 2006, my family moved to a single-family house from a townhouse. One of our reasons for moving was to have a bigger garden (the townhouse garden was very small).
The new garden included a fig tree. That first summer, there was no fruit on it. I would prune it from time to time (perhaps improperly), but year after year, there was no fruit.
Last year, there were a few fruits on the tree. I was amazed! I had decided, over the years, that we had an ornamental fig (those do not bear fruit).
This year, perhaps with a warmer winter and abundant rain, it is producing many fruits! Now I want to learn the proper way of pruning and fertilizing it. There are ways to prune the tree to select the best branches for bearing fruit.
There are many lessons to learn from this:
1) Proper pruning is important: Could this mean that sometimes the discipline or correction we receive from others could be misdirected or misapplied. I don’t question that we need discipline, but it’s something to ponder. We can pray that damage done to us will be healed. Or, we may have not received much pruning/discipline in life. That usually results in a much-reduced amount of fruit.
2) Patience is important: Like the fig tree in Scripture, we may need to wait a long time for something to bear fruit.
3) Given all else, perhaps the conditions or timing are just not right: “The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8). Do we need to put ourselves (or allow God to put us) in conditions where we can blossom and bear fruit? In the natural world, some seeds grow only if they are first burned, frozen, or scarified (cut). Do we allow our sufferings to bring forth new life in us?
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