What God Was Doing While I Was Picking Blueberries

 

Photo 2002

It’s a great season for blueberries, at least so say so far our little patches.  Warmer temps and lots of rain, and whatever happens back there in April I think, with the black flies and the blossoms; it’s all come together for yet another bumper crop.

 Perhaps Zachary will be willing to continue his Great Grandmother Mary’s tradition of the blueberry pie.  He’s quite interested in baking, and made some delicious treats, including a pie with crust made from scratch, last summer.  Perhaps this summer there will be enough for more than one pie.

I do love eating whatever happens with the blueberries.  But the real therapy for me is the quiet solitude of blueberry picking.

I did about fifteen minutes worth yesterday.  I’m still being careful, and while there’s no heavy lifting involved, some of the bending and squatting puts a bit more pressure on places in my body I’m still being gentle with.  Even so, there’s a really good patch alongside the wall of the main building on the other side of the property; one I haven’t really noticed to be so productive before.  Got a full cup and a half of berries in just the short time I sat down there.

It was enough time for some blueberry ruminations.  I’ll call it that.  It’s my tendency to use the quiet to speak out loud some of the more confounding matters of my life, particularly in my relational world, and/or particularly where I feel I still need to seek some better resolutions.  Or maybe I’m sorting out where I stand on a controversial matter, and practicing how I might talk about it with someone I love who holds a different position.  Or perhaps there’s a situation that seems stalled out, and I’m trying out different approaches, only just talking to myself out loud.

I suppose if you snuck up quietly behind me while I was out blueberry ruminating, you might find cause for some concern.  Except those who know me know I tend to talk to myself from time to time, and would not be alarmed at all, I’m confident.  There she goes again, they’d say.

What I realized yesterday, briefly out in the little patch by the wall there, was that I’ve been doing this for so many seasons, that I can now look back at all that’s been resolved or un-stalled or reconciled over the years that, at one point, was causing me stress enough to talk to the blueberries about it.  I realized how many really big things have all worked out. Quite well in fact.  Not always the way I thought they would, and sometimes things took a lot longer than I was expecting.  But in the end, there have been so many difficulties that are no longer difficult.

And I realized that, really, my blueberry ruminations were actually prayers.   And that all along, God has been listening.  And He’s been working things according to His plans and purposes.  And it has been good. 

And I had another one of those times where my spirit just goes, “Oh yeah.”

A little rush of blueberry reassurance, if you will.

Today is a transition day in all our family cottage joy.

We will drive home the girls, visit the lawyer to sign off on the house, then Tuesday drive back with the boys.  All in stride, taking it easy, simplifying expectations according to current realities. 

I’m sure I can convince Timothy and Jayden to come blueberry picking with me.  Until we see a frog, that is.  Then it’s all over, and frogs will be the main thing. Brace yourself for possible frog analogies :).

Meanwhile, hope your Monday is full of blueberry reassurances!