Raspberry lessons

 "Happy are those
   who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinners tread,
   or sit in the seat of scoffers;
but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
   and on his law they meditate day and night.
They are like trees
   planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
   and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper."  Psalm 1: 1-3

One of my daily 'exercises' this summer is walking through the backyard and checking out the growing plants in the morning as my decaf coffee is brewing.  You could say it gives me one more thing to look forward to...and to make the effort to get out of bed, because in this heat, getting up gets more challenging.  This is our second year with our raspberry bush.  I honestly didn't know how successful it might be this year, as we only had 6 berries ripen last year, and the birds beat us to all of those.

This year I was determined to get those berries before the birds, and the morning garden check has helped with that.  These daily garden walks have taught me some things:
a) when raspberries are ripe they can be gently pulled from the bush.  If they're not quite ripe they are hard to pull off without breaking apart. When something is fully ready, it is much easier to grab hold of it.

b) Even one day of ripening makes a huge difference. I'm amazed how just one day can ripen so many berries that were not close to ripe the day before.  Persistence and patience has paid off in delicious ways.

c) Growth happens below ground in ways that I can't see, and it bears wonderful fruit.  Getting enough water, nutrients, sun and pruning pays off.  Much of the growth of the plant happens in ways I cannot notice, but small changes make a big difference.

These raspberry lessons have encouraged me, as I've been frustrated with waiting for health, or becoming impatient with having few visible results in the health changes I've made.  The raspberries remind me that as we tend to our physical, mental and spiritual health every day, God brings the fruit of those efforts.  It can be very slow, sometimes taking years, but what comes is a rich, sweet blessing in our lives.  Do not give up on your daily efforts, for although we cannot see roots digging deep into the soil, those same deep roots give strength, and nourishment.

Creative God, your creation reminds us that there are seasons of growth and seasons of harvest even in our own lives. While growing seems slow, give us the patience and wisdom to dig deep and grow stronger in faith, wisdom and health, so we may enjoy the fruits of the hard work.  Amen.