Berry insightful.

Here's a story and some good life changing stuff I learnt from Ray Andrews over Easter.

Out in the African desert, there is a pretty primitive tribe. The land they live on is harsh, and does not produce food. The only food they can grow is a plant that has very bitter leaves. This is the only food that they have which is a good source of nutrients, but it tastes awful.

The tribe are forced to eat this unpalatable food, simply to stay alive. The key however is a small berry bush which will also survive the harsh conditions.

The tribes people take a small berry and with every meal they first place the berry in the corner of their mouth. The extremely sweet taste of the berry overpowers the bitterness of the other food and they are able to contently eat the nutritious leaves, which taste so horrible.

No matter how bitter the plant or leaves are, they take on the flavour of the small berry.

So here’s the question… what’s your berry? What is it that you can place in the little corner of your life, so that everything good or bad – bitter or sweet – unpalatable or lovely – takes on the flavour of that berry. The simple fact is that ‘unpalatable’ things are going to happen in life, the loss of a loved one, a frustrating day, an annoying child on the train… but if you keep a berry in your mouth all those things (though painful at the time) can be dealt with through the flavour of the berry.

Ray shared this, and then graciously shared his berry as well – which I like a lot – and it comes from Romans 11:36

For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his
glory. All glory to him forever! Amen. (NLT)

Jesus is in everything, nothing can come without him knowing about it, or the ability to do something about it. He is in all, through all and by all… I plan to keep that berry in my mouth no matter what comes. Spitting it out at hard times is only going to make things worse for me, no one else.

What’s your berry? You can have mine if you want.