My daily fig

The insanely arctic temperatures this winter knocked the poor old fig tree pretty far down. It struggled to produce any figs at all, so the first ripe fig was a cause for great celebration. I love figs, and have an outrageous collection of fig recipes, including lemon fig preserves and fig cobbler for which I am (unfortunately) somewhat infamous. 

That first ripe fig was followed by another fig the next day, and another ripe fig the day after. It wasn't long before I walked to the barn one morning, paused at the fig tree, and thought, "Give me this day my daily fig." I laughed out loud and said, "Lord, you are too funny! Let me look for that fig you sent me!" It was there, along with two more. Breakfast!!

Days have come and gone, and still I have my daily fig. Every morning, I pick the fig and have a good laugh with the Lord. Today, I went to the barn to feed and stopped at the fig tree. No fig. "What? You aren't giving me my daily fig today?" I asked. "Maybe I'm getting something else today," I thought. Finished at the barn, I headed back to the house, out of habit stopping at the fig tree again. In the back of the tree, what looked like a little brown fig was dangling. I waded through the weeds, reached across, and at the tip of my fingers was a small ripe fig. The daily fig!

The provision of God is an amazing thing.  Like manna in the desert, His provision is as reliable as it is good. Bountiful and generous, our Father is faithful to provide for His own. The challenge for us is to keep our eyes open to recognize it and our hands and hearts open to receive it. 

Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?

Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:26, 31-33 NASB)