Everyday I searched, hoping to find one more ripe one.
Every summer, I attempt to grow something that is edible. My backyard is mostly shade, so I’m very limited, but this year, I have a blueberry bush that was very happy in its spot and it made some serious blueberries. I had my doubts about how well it would do because it was covered in blooms very early in the season and I felt like it may have bloomed too early to actually make fruit.
I watered it and fed it anyway and hoped for the best.
I was rewarded with blueberries for several weeks and I was thrilled. Each day I would go outside with my bowl and search for the ones that were just the right color. It never ceased to amaze me that even though I would look carefully the first time, several trips around the bush would continue bless me with a few I had missed.
I was just as happy with those as I was with the first handful. It didn’t matter whether they were the first ones or the last ones. I treasured each one.
I marveled at how two berries could be side-by-side on the vine, yet one would ripen before the other one, even thought they received the same amount of sun and water. I also found that sometimes the berries on the bottom or on the inside of the bush would ripen before the ones on top, even though they received less sun.
There seemed to be no rhyme or reason as to why some were ready for harvest, but other ones weren’t. Everyday, I persistently looked for more, hoping they were ready.
One of the main reasons I love to try and grow things is that Jesus often reveals Himself to me in the process.
A little heart nudge reminded me that people, like blueberries, bloom and ripen at different rates on our faith journey. Some have the perfect amount of sunshine and rain. Some come close to drowning and get very little light at all, yet Jesus searches for us relentlessly wherever we are in the process.
He never gives up.
I was also reminded that sometimes we may feel that those around us appear to have little chance of bearing fruit, like I did with those early blooms, but we are called to water and care for them anyway.
We don’t get to decide when or how the fruit arrives. We are simply called to do our part and let faith do the rest. For nothing is impossible with God.
Some blueberries reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂