Ministry Fruit

Today we went back to worship at the last congregation where I had served full time.  It was graduation Sunday, and I wanted to celebrate the graduates,  who were just little kids when I first went there.

I knew there would be old friends to greet, which we did at the reception following the service.  What I had really not expected at all were the spin-offs, the fruit, the stories shared.

A young man was there who had just graduated from college, Peter.  He stopped me as I was exiting the sanctuary to thank me.  In particular, he said that my letter of recommendation for his becoming an Eagle Scout had been very important, very helpful, and was a really big deal.  Apparently, being an Eagle Scout had opened many doors for him that otherwise would not have been open.  Who could have guessed that such a small thing could have made such a difference?

An older woman told me how appreciative she was of the opportunities for her to do dramatic monologues during my ministry there.  She was great at them.  I cannot even remember what triggered all that.  I would write them, biblical characters, she would portray the character, memorizing her entire part!  She said that as a result,  she has joined a theater group and now does that kind of thing often!

There were other such testimonies, as I wandered around the reception hall.  As we were driving home,  I could not help but reflect on how many of the people in the congregation came to the church during the years of my ministry.  It was stunning to think that one's ministry could really have an impact in people's lives, even years later.

It was good to be reminded of the fruit of ministry, the sweetest part! Long after one has left the building, the position, the earth----still, the fruit of one's labor can live on!

How humbling!