Blueberry Story

We've been laying low for most of the past week. I suspect we picked up a virus at the pool and it has run through all of us as pink eye, coughs, runny noses, or other manifestations. I've been doing my best as family physician, using oils and homeopathy and extra JuicePlus+, giving lots of water and encouraging rest. .  . and we are just now emerging.

It is nearly the end of blueberry season here in VA. I had planned to pick berries again last week (as I realized we had already used up nearly HALF of what I had frozen a few weeks ago!), but delayed day after day, waiting for our health to return. Today was the first day I felt I could take everyone and not assume that all the berries would be contaminated with coughs, etc.

I had mildly great plans; told the kids that I was hoping for three buckets of berries. I would pick one and then the older four could team up and pick a bucket per pair. Then R decided he should read instead of pick, as he "was still sub par." And, as is always the case, M needed to use the restroom several times, which cut into our picking time. L and T were deep into some sort of pretend game with swords and castles and ate berries but didn't accumulate much.

After about an hour, O asked how much more we were going to pick.

"Let's aim for TWO buckets." I encouraged. I figured with his help the two of us could manage two buckets full. (At that point I had nearly filled my bucket but his was less than 1/4 full.)

About 20 minutes later I decided that everyone had about as much as we could take. . . and conceded that ONE full bucket of blueberries was sufficient for the day. I'd rather quit before things got dicey.

We returned home with one big bag of berries and I was thankful. We really do still need rest and that one activity was more than we've done in a week. Still, I harbored just a tinge of sadness that we may not be storing as many berries as I anticipate we need.

And then, God. Again. I'm so humbled.

Late this afternoon our landlord pulled up. The kids rushed to hug him and hear his news as it's been awhile since we've seen him. We all think he is great. Not only were we delighted by his visit... but he had just come from the very same berry farm and brought us a BAG of blueberries.

And I'm slow to recognize God sometimes. It wasn't until I was tucking the boys in tonight and praying with them that I realized the significance of this blueberry gift. Amazing how the Lord takes care of us. I'm continually amazed. Ann says that God has burning bushes everywhere. I pray for open eyes to see.