Wild plums--and Gifts Right Under Your Nose

A few weeks ago when we were up in South Dakota, Jonathan and Danny didn't want to leave for home until they had picked enough plums to make some wild plum jam or jelly.

 It's true the plums were only a fraction of the size of plums you find in the grocery store, but underneath the tart skins there was sweet flesh.

 You just never know the sweetness and value you'll find in things you don't expect, if you look for it, and if you are willing to expand your ability to enjoy new things and develop your taste buds to savor something besides pepperoni pizza, Frosted Flakes cereal, and ice cream.

How about sending a few wild plums into your digestive system, complete with Sunshine Vitamins and loads of South Dakota minerals and nutrition?

 The guys even braved the chiggers to go pick in that patch of bushes where we saw a mama deer in the mornings getting her share of the plums! She knew what was good for her!

It's so easy to become stuck in the rut of wanting just our favorite food when we ought to be taking advantage of the free produce God has supplied in our own back yard--even if it is wild plums on thorny bushes down where there might be chiggers!

We all took a shower afterward and were none the worse for the wear for picking plums,

and Carrie made a bunch of jars of wild plum jelly when we came home. 

Brave the elements.

Try new things.

Look for diamonds and wild plums in your own backyard.

Discipline your appetites.  

Find sweetness under the tartness.

Face your fears of chiggers, chills, choices, or churlish opinions of others.  

And enjoy the wonderful gifts God hands to you right under your very nose!