God and the Blueberries

When are times when you feel close to God? In church? While listening to worship music? Reading the Bible? Perhaps it’s something completely different. That was my experience this past week. Here in Naknek the blueberries are ready for picking. Malachi and I have been going out when we have the chance and the bugs aren’t in full force. One day while we were out picking, I was reminded how God was right there and He loves to provide for His children even in simple things as blueberries. Let me paint just a small picture of the Naknek way of picking berries.

All of the berries that grow here, grow right in the tundra. Tundra is everywhere. Where there isn’t gravel/dirt or grass, there is most likely tundra. Malachi and I went out in our “backyard” and tromped through our tall grass in the back to get to the tundra. Stepping onto it, it’s slightly spongy, lots of small plants and bumpy terrain. But it smells so good. Almost like different kinds of “herbs”, but hard to explain. In August, if the spring and summer weather was right, there are blueberries ready to be picked. They are all low to the ground and don’t grow on bigger bushes like the “lower 48”. They are also a little harder to find, because you have to get down lower since they sometimes hide and are a little smaller than “regular” blueberries. Most of the tundra plants are green, but they all look different and have different shades of green. It’s all beautiful, but the blue of the blueberries and the red of the cranberries that are starting to come (in a month or so) is pretty spectacular. For some reason, I felt like God was right there and I was thinking, “When people years ago depended on “living off the land”, they must have been so thankful. And I’m just excited to be able to eat these! Thank you God!”

Don’t even get my started on the colors of the tundra in the fall…Come on up and find out for yourself! :)