​Lessons Learned from Strawberries

I planted 100 strawberry plants last year.
Is that enough?
How do you estimate how many plants you need?
Fifty of them I replanted at the end of the summer, after realizing they wouldn’t “work” where they were.
Our summers are hot, humid with drought (a paradox and difficult to comprehend, I know).
Replanting anything in this kind of humid weather with no rain was certain death—either to the plants or to me.
But somehow we both managed to survive. 
My sister had mercy and came to help. (Drove 12 hours to do it!)

This year, I watched the strawberry plants surface after winter’s cold. Their green was cheery. They weren’t dead!
After days of 70’ weather, I removed the leaf mulch that buried them. 
Would the “cheery green” last when multiple cold spells hit them or would they turn to a gooey, mushy black as they died? 
They remained robust and healthy. A praise for sure.
I saw blossoms, then berries. Another thank you, Jesus!
When I planted them, I wanted a ground cover, to choke out the weeds or at least cover them. 
Now seeing blossoms, I actually hoped to have strawberries. 
But…I had planted them under my bird feeders.
Birds like strawberries.
I painted rocks red and threw them under the plants before the strawberries ripened.
Maybe they would peck them and tire of the rock taste.
Then ordered bird netting and frames.
Slugs like strawberries.
I set beer traps. Apparently, slugs like beer with their strawberries.
While I was waiting for the bird netting order, a mouse ran out from under the plants.
(Bird netting would not stop mice and would make it difficult to pick regularly. I abandomed that idea.)
A strawberry ripened early.
It was big, ripe, prize worthy. 
How did that happen? 
I took a bite. 
How could something so beautiful taste so awful! Nearly spit it out!
The other half in my hand had fifteen ants running around inside it!
How can I protect my strawberries from freezing, birds, mice, slugs, and now ants!
I even saw pill bugs eating them. 
They aren’t supposed to eat anything but dead things! But they loved my strawberries.
In fact, they had parties on my now ripening strawberries.
I gave them (my strawberries, not the bugs; well yes, the bugs, too) to God.
And asked what I should do.

As it was, I had no time to do anything. (Good thing God was in charge.)
The strawberries changed from pale to strawberry red quickly.
I picked them.
And picked them. And picked them.
One hundred plants make a lot of strawberries.
I went to get another pan. And another.
After soaking them in a 1:3 vinegar-water solution for 10 minutes, any bugs and dirt were gone.
Every other day I picked. 
It was hard to wait for that red-red strawberry red—would they be mushy or just eaten?
So I picked a day too soon for most. Would it take away their vine-ripened sweetness? Oh well.
I froze multiple quarts. And gave some away.
Would the ones I gave away taste awful, mold, go squishy?

Rains came. Not your “light watering mist” kind, but the torrential tornado downpour kind. 
“Would my strawberries make it?”
They did. 
I picked and picked, but threw out half for being mushy or moldy.
Froze. And gave away.
Rains came again.
Picked less. Threw away more.
Strawberries were one-quarter the size of the first ones. 
Almost not worth cutting off the stem.
Wished I’d given more away sooner. These were embarrassing.
Not many blossoms, not many half-ripe strawberries waiting for the sun to kiss them ripe, but still enough to pick.
Then almost as suddenly as they started, they stopped. 
A few here or there, but hardly worth looking for.
I am not disappointed.
I am relieved.

Lessons learned from strawberries.
I can worry about things that will and will never happen, but still God blesses with a harvest.
Picking strawberries is stooped labor—more like crawling through the aisles and jumping over plants. Heating pads are my best friend.
Picking after rains makes for wet clothes and muddy shoes. Showers help too.
Picking gives an itchy rash—how can something so sweet cause so many problems?
EveryTHING likes strawberries.
Birds peck once and move one.
Squirrels pick and move the strawberry.
Starlings sing to you while you pick—or were they yelling?
Leaf mulch around the plant encourages mold and pill bugs, if left during rains.
Black canvas between rows makes picking easier.


Waiting for that red ripeness takes patience. 
I admire God's patience with me. I'm not ripe yet, but nor am I moldy or rotten, yet.

I pick the good with the bad and sort.
Much like God will at the end.
We all have some kind of fruit, maybe still ripening, but God waits and will judge fairly in His time.

Processing strawberries takes the rest of the day.
Fine dirt comes off with the vinegar solution.
Even the good strawberries need a good washing. (Maybe especially the good ones, since they have a purpose—to eat!)
Much like we must be cleansed by the blood, then daily washed and forgiven by the Spirit—to be ready for His service.

While picking, I can’t weed. I try not to see everything else going to seed and spreading magnificently, especially the weeds.
I tell myself, “Strawberries can’t last forever.”
Focus. On. One. Thing.
And strawberries don’t last forever.
I pick one day and get almost nothing. 
They came with a flourish and finished all at once.
Before I could even prepare for it.
Just like opportunities. Given in a moment. Have a moment to decide to obey. And gone in an instant.
Instant obedience is where it's at.
But we must be focused on Him to see them.

June-bearing strawberries produce fruit in April in Oklahoma. At least this year.
Thankful these were June-bearing plants.
Now that it’s getting hot, I get a break for the summer—other than watering, directing their runners, de-bugging, feeding, covering them for winter, and…
 

But I've learned my lesson. 
One hundred plants is more than enough for a harvest. At least for this time.
And that's the only time I'm really given. Today.
And I truly am thankful for what God has given.

I write about what matters...to you---
women, wives and moms---
about your family, faith and future.
I write about what's hard, what helps and what heals.
I show you how it's done. And not done.
I hold your hand as you find what matters to the Savior.
And let go of those things that mattered to you, but not to Him.
I write about what matters...to Him.
               Sonya Contreras

Faith
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under the Table of Contents. Also available in book form.
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