keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.
(Jude 1.21
NRSV)
"Blackberry winter"-that's what her grandmother called that final cold snap in May, when blackberries began ripening. And she was always right. Before the month was over, she would have to retrieve one of those sweaters for a final few days of chilly temperatures.
"Now that I'm an adult," Ms. Carney writes, "I've noticed blackberry winters' in other areas of my life, too. I save for a vacation, but have to spend the money on a new washer. My meaningful relationship' with my two teenagers is splintered by occasional spats. I want that recognition for my hard work on the local school board, but am passed over. Sometimes I'm tempted to give up, to surrender to the cynicism that surrounds me. I feel things will never get better.
"That's when I think of Grandma, sitting in her rocker, her hands stitching quilting pieces. It'll never get warm!' I used to whine.
"Course it will,” she'd laugh, “Blackberry winter is a short season, child. Real short.”
"And that's the way I try to think of my setbacks," Ms. Carney concludes, "Inevitable. Short-lived. As natural as the seasons, the blackberry seasons' of life."
Dear God, thank you for helping me to see the mountains when I’m in the valley. Amen.