Life Lessons From the Berry Patch

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Two weeks each summer, the blackberries ripen and grace the fields and woods with their delicious aroma at my dad’s farm. You see, the blackberries are wild; no one plants them. We’re just blessed enough that God grows them there. Pretty cool, huh?

There is one problem though. That little verse in Genesis where God tells Adam and Eve that the ground is cursed and they are going to be fighting thorns and thistles? Yes, that one. Firsthand, may I tell you: it.is.true.

I love blackberries. Love the flavor, the scent, the bountiful amount of recipes that include them. But there are some things about wild blackberry picking that, frankly, I don’t like. In fact, I hate.
For one, the bugs abound, swarming around your face and getting themselves all tangled in your hair. Not pretty. Not a vlogging (video blogging) environment, folks. Bug flies in mouth while you’re talking, then you start gagging….not pretty at all.

Then there are the thorns. Ahhh, yes. Nothing like reaching your hand in the bush to pick a plump, juicy berry, only to be gouged by a huge thorn instead.

We must not forget the heat- in an effort to keep the skin protected from all the thorns and thistles, every square inch of it is covered. And the sun has no mercy on the well-clothed souls who dare to pick berries in the middle of the afternoon.

But in spite of all the obstacles that go hand-in-hand with picking wild blackberries, you know what? I love it. I love the feeling of the cool breeze that occasionally sweeps through the field as I pick. I love the sound of hovering bees as they gather pollen and do their thing. I love making blackberry smoothies for my family. I love blackberry cobbler.

I love the rewards of picking blackberries.
While I picked, my thoughts turned towards a few life lessons from the berry patch. And since I know you are on pins and needles waiting for them…here they are. (Insert drumroll.)

1. You have to know where to go to get the fruit.

2. Thorns and thistles may slow you down, but you can’t let them stop you.

3. Distractions are present in every environment; appreciate them for what they are.

4. Don’t allow the potential dangers keep you from entering the patch. (snakes, bears, etc. 🙂 ) 

5. Pick only the ripened fruit; it has to be ready or it won’t taste sweet.

So go, Friends. Enter your world with fresh reminders that life is indeed….

Berry. Good.
(sorry, couldn’t resist.)

Food for thought:

There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment* in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God… Eccle. 2:24