The Berries Nobody Planted

I have been enjoying a special treat lately on my walks in the woods with the dogs.

It’s not just cooling off at the creek. It’s wild blackberry season here, and the berries are ripening sweet and delicious. As we walk along the trails, I can stop and snack on handfuls of fresh blackberries straight from the vine.

Every year, when they begin to ripen, they bring back wonderful memories of my childhood. ​My grandmother​ would send us kids into the woods beside her house with cups in hand to gather blackberries for her pies. Of course, we ate almost as many as we picked, which was usually evident from our stained hands, faces, and shirts when we returned.

Looking back, those are some of my sweetest memories.

As I was picking berries this week, I found myself marveling at something I’ve thought about many times before. No one planted these berries. No one waters them. No one fertilizes them. Yet year after year they appear, scattered throughout the woods like little treasures waiting to be discovered. They feel like a gift.

It reminded me of how often God provides for us in ways we don’t even notice.

Most of us spend a lot of time focusing on the things we’re waiting for—the prayers we’re hoping God will answer or the challenges we’re facing. In the process, it’s easy to ​overlook the countless blessings​ that are already surrounding us every day. A sunrise. A cool breeze. A walk in the woods. A faithful friend. A loving family. A handful of sweet blackberries growing wild along the trail.

Jesus reminded His followers of this when He pointed to the birds of the air and the flowers of the field. They don’t worry about where their next meal will come from or how they will be clothed, yet God faithfully cares for them.

How much more does He care for us?

The blackberry vines didn’t appear by accident. They are part of God’s creation, quietly doing what He designed them to do. And every summer they serve as a reminder to me that our Heavenly Father is a generous provider.

Sometimes, ​His blessings arrive in dramatic ways​. Other times, they come in the form of simple gifts that we might easily overlook if we’re not paying attention.

This week, my blackberry-stained fingers reminded me to slow down, look around, and thank God for the abundance He has placed all around us.

What blessings might be growing unnoticed along the path you’re walking today?

“See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you…” Mathew 6:28-30

June 21, 2026 Morning Brew