One fruit that the grocery store always seems to have in supply is blueberries. Blueberries are native to North America and thrive in our conditions of sunshine, cloudless skies, and cool nights. I only really enjoyed the sweetness of this delightful fruit a few years ago. But once I discovered that I enjoyed them, I ate them all the time. These little berries are quite the superfood, from being high in nutrients and antioxidants to help maintain brain function and improve memory (which has become increasingly important to me as I get older).
I purchased some blueberries the other day and looked forward to returning home. I popped a few in my mouth as I prepared my lunch. Imagine my surprise when I ate that first one and was met with extreme sourness instead of mouth-watering sweetness. Naturally, I tried another and had the same experience. That blueberry wasn’t delightful either.
I started to think about blueberries in a new way. Why are some batches sweet and some sour? We have dear family members who grow blueberries. They gave us some, and they were so delicious. They were plump and juicy, just the way I like them. When I looked at the sour blueberries, I noticed they were all small and shriveled.
As I was thinking about this fruit, I thought about how sometimes people or situations can be delightful or leave us with a sour taste. We all want to spend time with people who bring joy and gladness. However, we also all know someone who is the opposite, leaving us disappointed after interacting with them. Being like the former and not the latter is increasingly important as I age. I want to be someone that others look forward to interacting with.
The easiest way to harvest sweet blueberries is to wait until they are fully ripe. The longer you leave them in the bush, the better. My research on blueberries showed me that new bushes need to have the blossoms removed in the first year. By removing the blossoms, the root system can be established. It seems counterintuitive to me to remove blossoms if you want fruit. But I would see the wisdom in establishing a robust root system if I had blueberry bushes. The bush may survive a harsh winter or rainy spring with a robust root system. What about me? How do I survive harsh winters or rainy springs as I journey through life? I feel like I am just waking up from a long winter. I have been going through a lot of changes. These changes have been opportunities to deepen my roots in the Lord. Two great scriptures are Colossians 2:7 and Jeremiah 17:7-8. At other times, I have felt the Lord may be plucking the blossoms from me. It was extremely difficult to move and leave my oldest daughter in Texas. Being an empty nester has come with its own set of challenges. Trusting God, as he has shown me so much about myself as I was getting my real estate license in two states, was a lesson on dependence on staying connected to Jesus.
Two Christian women come to mind when I think about bitterness and sweetness. The first was a Christian woman that I knew from my childhood. I know she loved the Lord, and I am quite certain that she is in heaven now with her savior. But while she was on earth, she was somewhat of a miserable person. She always seemed to find the negative in a situation. The older she got, the more her disposition seemed to sour, and the less I wanted to spend time around her. She was bitter. The other woman is a dear Christian woman I met at a church in Charlotte. She exudes the love of the Lord. She is well into her 90s now, but every time I see her at church, she always smiles and gives a warm greeting. She is bursting with joy and sweetness.
I don’t know what makes one person sour and another sweet, but I have a theory: thankfulness. I have read a couple of different devotionals. Recently, both have talked a lot about having a thankful heart. God knows our tendency to become selfish and ungrateful. Many scriptures remind us to be thankful. This idea is expressed in Psalm 95:2, Psalms 106:1, and 2 Corinthians 9:11, to reference a few. When I am grateful, I feel attached to the vine, receiving nutrients and strength from staying close to Jesus. I feel much more joyful and full of sweetness. I know the second woman has had her fair share of trials throughout her life. However, she has stayed connected to God and her faith; she developed an attitude of gratitude. What a wonderful testimony and example to me.
When I have a heart full of thanksgiving, I experience peace. The two states of mind go together. Isaiah 26:3 is part of A Song of Praise to the Lord and states, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you.” And how can we not experience peace as we remember 1 Peter 5:7: “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares for you.” The deep dependence on God brings peace, hope, and abundant joy, even in the harshest circumstances. As we experience more of God, we can be plump with the sweetness of God and bring delight to anyone we meet.
The Aesop quote ” good things come in small packages,” could be said of blueberries. These small berries can bring goodness and delight. However, some berries may leave us with puckered lips and disappointment. Life situations also give us a couple of different options. Each day, as I get up, I can trust and deepen my faith in God or try to go it alone in my strength and abilities. Learning dependence on God can be difficult, but as I see God’s blessings in my life, I pray I will turn faster and quicker to God and his way.
I am confident that as I stay connected to the vine of Jesus and allow God to pluck the things that need to be gone, I will grow to be plump with the sweetness and juice of the Lord. I want to allow the great gardener to tend my life as a gardener tends the blueberry bushes; knowing how the gardener tends my life and develops my root system is done for my best so that I may produce the juiciest fruit. I will reflect this development as I live out the fruit of the spirit, “love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23)
As we allow thanksgiving and praise to guide our days, remove our focus from ourselves, and place it on God, the joy of the Lord will abound. As the Holy Spirit prunes our lives, I pray that we develop such a sweet, blessed fragrance from our time with God that those we interact with are left with hope and peace in God as they see the joy of the Lord filling our lives.
Peace in the Desert 