Berry Bliss

The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth;
One is nearer God's heart in a garden,
Than anywhere else on earth.
~Dorothy Frances Gurney~
1858-1932

We had opportunity recently to spend an unmeasured amount of time out in nature recently.I craved it.Desired it.Turns out I truly needed it as well and my soul and spirit knew that.God knew it.Too much of my life is spent indoors.Taking care of business here in the apartment.Inside the van on the way to run errands.Inside businesses and stores.Little time spent in the sun,fresh air and out in God's lovely and restorative nature.So,off we went to a local berry farm.To pick blueberries, we hoped.And we were grandly rewarded.They were ripe and ready to be picked.The sun was warm and the wind was cool and there was nary a cloud to be seen.We took our buckets and gingerly made our way over the uneven terrain to where the blueberries were.Acre upon acre of various fruits and flowers were laid out before us.I began to be at peace.There is something very calming and cathartic about picking berries in a garden for me.It's as if God Himself dwells there and He speaks peace to me as I pull the sun ripened,blue orbs off their delicate stems.His peace begins to permeate.And I am transformed.Unaware that I have been carrying any stress internally I begin to feel it melt away as the sun,the wind and God's presence do their much needed work within me.I move onto the next bush and with each bush I peruse I feel my pulse slowing.My heart rate calms.I feel,I think,what the first humans must have felt in the Garden of Eden.And I smile for I am suddenly aware of His presence here more than any other place I have been.And this changes everything.My outlook is renewed.I feel internally refreshed.And I think to myself that it is no accident that time began in a garden.For I think God knew of it's ability to heal and restore and bless.And for that I am grateful.I am grateful that there are still green spaces,gardens,berry farms and such.I am not anti-progress but I am glad that there are still places in His creation where we as His children can go and gain a small glimpse into what Eden must have been like.

Blessings~Sharon
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