One of the first items on my agenda for our homestead was to plant a fig tree. The fig has such a rich biblical history and is one of the most nutritious fruits God created. And they are delicious little jewels. So we planted a Brown Turkey Fig tree at the earliest appropriate time here on our 'stead. An unusual characteristic of the fig tree as I understand it is that they bear fruit before they bear leaves. If this occurs it is a sign of a healthy tree. Well our little tree has been through several stages - at first it had several big leaves, then brown dying leaves, then big green leaves with some baby green figs, then most recently (not pictured) no leaves and several baby green figs! At first we thought the grasshoppers had eaten all of our leaves and left the fruit until I did some research! God's creation continues to amaze me! Of course I was not expecting to have a harvest of figs this year from our little tree but was certainly and hopefully looking forward to next year. Well last week I was talking to a dear friend and she asked if I liked figs. I said I love figs! She said that she had three trees in her backyard that were full of ripe figs. I told her that Little Ricky and I would be over to harvest! She met us there and we visited and picked. I actually was up on a ladder in the fig tree-tops just a pickin' away! Surprised myself - yes - climbing a ladder! We picked and picked and picked. We got hot, sweaty, sticky and itchy. But we brought home over thirteen pounds of figs - beautiful sweet juicy little jewels! Now figs won't last very long after being picked so I washed them, bagged, and refrigerated them and began looking up recipes on the internet for fig preserves. The next morning, after not having slept well at all due to hormonal imbalance - but that's another post - I was tired and sore from being on a ladder and fig pickin'! My dear sweet husband, Ricky, and of course Little Ricky, offered to help me knowing that I was not quite myself physically or mentally, being sleep deprived. We did it! We created and put up sixteen pints of fig preserves! What a blessing from our Lord Jesus and our dear friend! And what an accomplishment we feel we have made - canning and putting up food for the future for the family. And our precious little jars will make great gifts too! God knows our desires and from out of nowhere he has provided our family with my favorite fruit. And an abundance at that. God is good! Then after the preserves production Ricky created some gluten-free bread in the breadmaker to enjoy with our preserves! What a delightful next morning we had eating homemade gluten-free bread toasted with butter, spread with fig preserves, and of course topped with crispy bacon. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalms 37:4
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