Life Lessons from the Berry Patch

Some Saturdays there is a plan in place.

Some Saturdays the plan comes in the moment.

Like yesterday when my oldest daughter texted me from her favorite place of employment - the local vegetable farm.

Did I want to come pick raspberries? They have more than they can sell.

No need to ask me twice!

Raspberries are my favorite!!!

 

BNH, the chili peppers (our 8 and 6 yr. old kiddos), and I headed out to the patch.

We were given a section in the best row of the patch.

 

The peppers started out just skimming the tops and outside.

That was easiest for them. It was eye view and not a lot of work. 

I told them that picking raspberries is like being on a treasure hunt.

Some of the treasure was hidden and we needed to search carefully underneath the leaves to find all the berries.

We had to show them how to find more by not being in a hurry to move on.

 

How like life!

We can breeze along and think we are getting the best and most out of it by just
 skimming along the surface.

It's easy and we like to look ahead at where the next big berry is.

Wanting quick treasure.
 

Sadly doing that makes us miss much of life.

We miss being in the moment.

We miss the hidden treasure--
Always wanting what's next that might be better.

We get only a small portion of God's blessings because we are too impatient to see
what He has for us if we stay in the same spot.

 

Staying in place and going deeper for the treasure.

Pushing aside the foliage.

Each dense leafy layer.

Knowing that the prickles will scratch us.

Bending down and rising up again. Despite the aches.

Reaching and stretching for each berry - each blessing.

Looking and searching carefully.

Yielding a greater produce because we had lessons to learn right where we were.

So much so, that some spills out of our hands - unable to hold it all.

 

 

Sometimes it is even necessary to look back.

We may think we are ''done" in a certain spot and not want to go back there. 

After all, there can't be much left behind that's worth the trouble.

But when we do, we see a few more berry (buried) blessings.

And a certain sense of satisfaction comes, knowing that looking back can bring it's own treasure - that of seeing healing and wholeness which comes from thoroughly picking through a section.

Some people came to pick while we were finishing up.
They spent 15 minutes. They skimmed.
Maybe that's all they wanted.
But for me and for my family,
I want more than the skimmings.
I want all that God has for me - for us,
even if that means sometimes feeling stuck in the same spot,
  getting scratched and bloody, and hurting from the stretching process.
I want more than 2 pints.
I want 22 lbs.

 

I want all of His good measure of great treasure.
~~
Victoria