A trip to our prayer garden’s pond yielded this photo of its largest creation, rising for a bit of fish food I scattered on the pond’s surface. I explored using a slower shutter speed with some success. I like the photo, but would like it better had the larger koi had been the sole (pun intended) subject caught in the frame of my shot.

But fish food tossed into a small pond gathers all those together in the vicinity. Once fed, off they wander into the shadows and shade the overhanging plants provide to hide from the strong summer sun and the marauding fisher-cats and herons whose visits have been known to create havoc and destruction in the pond. The same smallness of the pond that makes an easy snack of fish food accessible to all, also makes an easy meal of fish for those in our creation that prefer them on their menus.

And this year, in the garden of the wild brambles that are located to the west and north of our home, we’re experiencing a banner year of wild raspberries.

Every other day my husband dons his suit of armor, consisting of a long sleeved shirt, long pants, garden gloves, socks and sneakers to walk deep into the brambles for the harvest. The armor is necessary, in part to the keep at bay the sharp thorns that, by nature, have a tendency to grab and scrape clothes and uncovered skin, but mostly due to the bugs that bite he unfortunately encountered a year ago who live amongst the microcosm of life surrounding the sweetness there for his picking. I find the raspberries very seedy, but he doesn’t mind the seeds. He knows the rewards of tasting the fruit mixed into his morning’s yogurt or scattered on top of his evening’s ice cream far outweigh the added crunch, the risks of biting bugs, and walking amongst thorny brambles.

Fish in a small pond gives me food for thought, and every thorny raspberry cane makes it point.
The evidentiary fallenness of what was at one time a perfect creation, points me to our Creator and His words ”…in this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.”

I find hope and comfort in those words. What about you?

Thank you for stopping by.

You are loved.