Not knowing what to expect, never having been there before and the less than ideal rainy weather, I had my doubts that this little field trip of ours could turn out to be a total bust, but I hoped that it wouldn't disappoint. And it didn't. The place was packed when we arrived - something I knew had to be a good sign.
We grabbed ourselves a basket and ventured far back into the strawberry fields away from the barn and away from the other pickers out braving the gloomy weather in hopes of finding the best strawberries - and we sure did! I'm not even sure we had to find a secluded location to do our picking to find such amazing strawberries - the fields seemed to be full of bright-red-perfectly-shaped-blemish-free strawberries.
I felt like a little girl in strawberry heaven. We were so tempted to start stuffing our mouths full of these decadent looking strawberries, but didn't because we felt that would be wrong of us. However, our moral code didn't keep us from taste testing one strawberry each.
In all honesty, I don't think that in my 26 years I have ever eaten a strawberry as sweet and juicy and simply AMAZING as the one I picked yesterday afternoon. That simple taste let us know how amazingly good the rest of the strawberries we were picking were going to be. When we arrived home with our pickings, we immediately rinsed them and started eating. If you know me, I am a food lover, but I've never really equated food to being so perfect and heavenly tasting, but let me tell you, these strawberries were simply heavenly.
And honestly, yes these little red strawberries made me think of Heaven and God's goodness, even here on Earth. How amazing is it that the Creator of the world gave us so many amazing tasting fruits and other foods? He could have just left it at bread and water, but he didn't... And I love looking at his creation, whether it's people or animals or mountains or strawberries and seeing him and his love and his goodness...
"Taste and see that the LORD is good" Psalm 34:8
I love that a simple strawberry can remind me of his goodness.
We all know that in my life lately I've experienced a lot of darkness and a lot of pain. To be able to say that God is good, not only when circumstances and things are good, but for me or anyone to say God is good in the midst of cancer or illness or death or grief... what more proof do you need to see that my Lord is who he says he is?
But I won't lie. Sometimes when things aren't good in my life, in those past dark periods and in those moments of darkness that continue to present themselves, it's still hard for me to see or understand how God is good given... But he is. His word tells me his. And I can't forget my own personal experiences that tell me he is. I have to remind myself that this world is also full of things he didn't intend for us originally - like death and pain. He doesn't like just as I don't like it.
While my life has been affected by tragedy and loss, there are days like yesterday and today that remind me of who my God is, and that is good. He may not have wanted the tragedy in my life to occur, but the world is a place of death and loss... and the wonderful thing I'm reminded about God is that he is also our Redeemer (Psalm 130:7, Job 19:25, Ephesians 1:7). Because of who he is and his goodness, I know he can and will redeem the pain and tragedy in my life. I'm not left alone in the pit of grief, and I'm not left alone to suffer or have the rest of my life be negatively impacted by that grief... He comes to save me and redeem the negative circumstances in my life that Satan would like to use to harm me. God is good, and I'm once again reminded that can and will use Hailey's life, my tragedy, my loss to fulfill his good purpose in this world, and I don't need to understand it. I need to trust it.
All I know, is that I am so thankful for all the moments in this life, whether they happen while I'm rejoicing at the sweet taste of the fresh strawberries I just picked or while my tears fall down my cheek from burying my daughter, that God allows me to taste and see that he is good. In those moments I feel closer to Him and Heaven than ever before. In those moments I wonder how so many in this world can choose to miss out on knowing the goodness and love of the God who created them... I can only pray today that you may also:
"Taste and see that the LORD is good" Psalm 34:8
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