Wednesday, July 16, 2008

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
Image from All Posters






10 comments:

Jo said...

It's those glimpses of Eden that leave you looking wistful towards Heaven, and pondering the goings on "up there"... such a beautiful post, dear Sharon. I could feel the blue berries sliding through my fingers and am so happy you had such a beautiful day. I've a little something for you over here... ;-)

teacupsandpoodles said...

I really enjoyed reading your post today! You expressed so beautifully how I too often feel when I go berry picking. My favorite berries to pick are black raspberries. Stop over and visit me at my blog when you have time Sharon.
Sincerely,
Mary Ann

Adrienne said...

Hi Sharon -
You are right. Getting outside and picking berries suddenly takes us into another world. I need to go outside and pick raspberries. For breakfast. On my cereal.

Thanks for stopping by my blog and for leaving your sweet comments. I suddenly remembered that I didn't follow through on the last time you tagged me. I'd better get with it!
~Adrienne~

Sharon Goemaere said...

Hi Jo! :-)
So happy that you stopped by and left such wonderful comments!I will stop by soon and see what treasure awaits me at your lovely blog.Bless you dear girl~Sharon

Sharon Goemaere said...

Hello Mary Ann!
It's amazing isn't it how very healing God's creation is?I relish my times in the out of doors for I find it brings a peace that's just alive with His presence.But it must be away from the city to have such an effect.I will stop by soon and see your blog and maybe even comment.Blessings~Sharon

Sharon Goemaere said...

Hello Adrienne!
So good to see you again.Yes,berry picking is a wonderfully calming occupation.And the end results are so very delicious!And good for us too!Blessings~Sharon

sparrow's song said...

Very beautifully written from the heart that brought pleasant imagery to mind. The added touch was having my speakers on at the moment of reading this to hear 'sounds of nature - flower meadow'. Wow! I absolutely love God's creation and all the wondrous sounds and smells. Thank you for a seriously interesting and unique moment on your blog.

Sharon Goemaere said...

Hi Sparrow!
Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving such nice comments!I too love God's creation as you can tell.Spent some time out in it today in fact!Loved every minute of it too.Smile.Blessings~Sharon

Paula said...

We spent last Saturday morning picking huckleberries in the mountains where I grew up. Very theraputic and relaxing. So glad you got to enjoy this special time for your soul!

Sharon Goemaere said...

Hello Paula!
Nothing like berry picking,eh?Therapeutic and relaxing indeed!I love it!Blessings~Sharon