Henri Nouwen speaks of the challenges and rewards of placing our trust in God. Says Nouwen, "The great spiritual task facing me is to so trust that I belong to God that I can be free in the world – free to speak even when my words are not received; free to act even when my actions are criticized, ridiculed, or considered useless; free also to receive love from people and to be grateful for all the signs of God's presence in the world."