While the fruits of contemplation manifest themselves differently in each person, the common experience of contemplatives tells us that one of the fruits we can reasonably anticipate from regular practice is a lessening of anxiety. The reasons for this are many. One of them is less worry about the future, either for ourselves or those that we love. Through contemplation, we increase our awareness and trust in the pervasiveness of God’s goodness. As this awareness increases, we recognize God within us, drawing us toward greater love and the freedom of our objective union with God. We also come to see that God has always been guiding us to this love and freedom by a path uniquely our own, long and winding, with many setbacks, but always trending toward greater good. And then, little by little or all at once, we receive the grace of understanding that God is drawing everyone else on too. It may be that our loved ones will travel a path unknown and hidden from us, but with God as guide, we can trust that the destination will be the embrace of love and union just the same