My Private Raspberry Patch
Posted: Tuesday, November 23, 2010
by Jack H. Schick
Since I've become so active in the Society of Friends, I've been feeling very good and spiritually secure. I'm becoming more and more pensive and pious. A convincement and inquisitiveness has risen in me. One day I had an experience that reinforces the probability that there truly is a harmony in the Spirit that promotes goodness and love.
I had picked a substantial number of berries in my isolated patch when I decided that I should go around the back and pick all the berries that could be seen from the sidewalk to have it not appear there were a lot of berries there. I did not want passersby to see the berry patch and take them for themselves. I even worried to an extent that kids might invade my private patch since it was actually on public property.
Selfishly I concentrated on picking any ripe berry that would be seen by someone walking down the sidewalk or crossing the foot bridge. With in a short time I had accomplished my goal. I went back to my private side of the berry patch and continued to pick "my" berries. I felt a twinge of remorse. I considered for a moment my selfishness; my trying to be sure no one else got berries.
Soon I saw some friends coming across the school field-ten year old Julie and her grandmother. They always stop to visit my dogs and me, if we're in the yard. I walked over to them and offered Julie a raspberries. She took one. I said, "No, have some more." She took a hand full from my collection bowl. Across the same field came three women and two young teenagers. I offered them some berries, too. They raved about how good the berries were. I offered more. I said to take a handful, which the kids did. I held the bowl toward one of the women. She said, "You have me hooked. Yes, I'll have more and took another handful.
I had given away over half the berries I picked. I'd given away more than I'd picked on the public' side of the berry patch. I'd had a pang of remorse. My conscience had realized that I'd been less than kind, sharing, or compassionate in my decision to pick berries others might have gotten. An effort by the Spirit to maintain harmony, to promote good and love, to created a situation where I was able to transmit and share love.
I immediately recognized the coincidence of the occurrences. I don't think I was looking for a way to mitigate my remorse, the circumstances just occurred. It almost seems like the scene was planned, orchestrated by a conscious being. Since I've always denied the existence of a God that is cognizant of, and interested in me, who is but a sliver of the Spirit, a piece of the Mind, it was a bit unnerving to see a scenario played out that seemed so much like a contrived parable..
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Top-level comments on this article: (5 total)An elegant and poignant insight well written; I am your 'fan'.
PaulThanks Paul. I'm your fan too.
Hi Jack! I haven't seen you for absolutely ages. I enjoyed reading your article. I think everything is orchestrated, and I believe that God is cognizant of you...We ahd a wonderful 300th anniversary at the Quaker Meeting. I've been getting articles in several local papers, in the Phila Yearly Meeting Magazine, and produced the literature for our historic program. I dress up as a 1700's Quaker and give historical lectures. I am still working on my History of Quakers in Quakertown book and hope to soon have a grant from the Yearly Meeting. One of these days I'll get back to serious SearchWarp work, but everytime I sit down to write I end up doing more research, editing or re-writing sections of the Book. I have a huge project to complete in a couple of years. As a Friend, a cognizant God who interacts except through the Light Within, is something hard to come to grips with.
So because of your selfishness, Jack, you ended up giving away more than what would have been taken. You gained insight and selflessness, your neighbors and friends gained raspberries. Win/win! (By the way, when are you sending me some? LOL!) Great article and wonderful insight into the human spirit.Thanks for reading and commenting
Jack, it is funny, sometimes, how the spirit moves us and works within us. It often surprises me what it can and has done for me and to me. And that it most often urges me to put others before myself, their wants and needs ahead of my own. Thanks so much for sharing this with all of us. May we also feel the spirit working within us.Thanks for reading and commenting
It is almost like looking at myself and the way I might have thought regarding the raspberries that, to put it right out there, I love. It's my favorite fruit and I savor every morsel of each raspberry. I can easily see how you would want to pick each berry. Your subconscious encouraged you to get every last one, not to share or let someone else get them. That's the basic human self preservation first, selfishness second, and just because third. Yet that entire thought was interrupted because you had the spiritual influence to guide you to put your own motives aside, to share and to give. I can see every aspect of your actions and applaud them each - even picking the public side. As everyone knows, selfishness of wanting them for yourself aside, it is better to pick the fruit than to let it wither on the vine. Picking it encourages the plant to produce again, to renew itself, to put out seed. Next year, the plants will again put out fruit, and perhaps more, since last crop was so successful. So that is good because how would you know anyone would have picked the berries? Now we all know that is righteous thinking. Nevertheless, it's good for the plant. But the fact that you shared your bounty, that is the spirit, the good, the forthright and, in this case the most important, valuable lesson learned.Another month or so and I'll be picking again. I am, greedy, though. thaks for spending so much time commenting!
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