My mulberry tree in my back yard has an abundant crop this year! Other than the smell getting a bit ripe, I’ve enjoyed watching the birds enjoy the berries.

Some birds just gobble up on the ground after the berries have fallen. Others are very industrious and try for the best juiciest ones that just happen to be on the tip of the branch.

One evening as I was enjoying the cool evening, I watched one little bird try very hard to get to this really big mulberry that was literally on the tip of the branch. The branch was rather thin and so wasn’t very sturdy.

The bird tried fluttering in front of the berry trying to pick it. I think he had been watching the humming birds too much! The bird tried to hop down the branch to reach the berry but the branch began to sway and bend and the bird fell off before reaching the berry. The bird tried hopping on the branch above it to reach it but it was just out of reach. The poor bird was very persistent trying to get that berry and tried all kinds of ways to get to it but in the end he gave up and flew away.

I felt sorry for that poor bird trying all those things and yet failing each time to get food. I couldn’t help because the branch was too high for me to even reach. I don’t expect he would of accepted my help any way.

The bird didn’t seem to care that the tree was full of berries. Why spend so much time and energy on that one?

I wondered as I watched that bird how often I am like him. Seeing what I want and trying all different ways to get it when all around me there are many things that God has graciously and freely given me. Like the bird, I’m not satisfied with all those other blessings. I want what I want and like some two year olds and some forty-six year olds, I want it NOW!

Is there something that you have been dreaming of having? Something that you want and you have tried many different ways of getting it? Yet, no matter how many ways you’ve tried, it’s just out of reach? God ALWAYS provides what we need but not always what we want. Perhaps the Spirit of God is wanting you to look at all the other berries/blessings that you already have.

That night as I fell asleep I did a blessing inventory. I counted all my blessings. You know it was a lot like counting sheep! I was asleep before I got finished! We have a lot of berries around us. This month, take time to look and enjoy all your berries/blessings!

Have a great berry pickin’ season!