Have you ever stopped to stare at a blackberry bush? I mean really watch it with eyes trained and heart open?
A random black bird eyes the juicy blue-black fruit and begins circling, looking for a landing spot. It finally swoops low to the rambling bush and finds a swaying ledge to perch upon. Rustling feathers give hint that the bird is frustrated as he pokes his head in and out of seemingly open spaces, attempting to grab hold of the mouth watering fruit. The would-be thief eventually leaves empty-beaked, shrieking in anger as he soars away.
From my perspective I can see that the pesky thorns prevented the pillager from swiping the ripened fruit.
But what does it look like from the perspective of the blackberry?
I would imagine the fruit can only see the obstacles of vines and the walls of leaves blocking out the direct sunlight. The fruit can only imagine what it must be like outside its prison buried deep inside a grave of thorns. What the berry can’t see is that the thorns are really pillars of protection from unseen enemies that promise destruction and death.
How many of us spend precious time seeing only the things that hinder us? What if some of those things were really keeping us safe until we are ready for harvest?