God in the Blueberries

Mother was out of work and greatly in need of money. Suddenly she remembered the blueberries on Farmer Jackson’s property, and his need of pickers. “Would you children like to go with me to pick blueberries?” she asked Ben and Amy. “We could earn a little money that way.”

“Of course we’d like to! When can we begin?”
“Tomorrow, maybe,” said Mother. “But tomorrow’s Friday,” said Amy.
“I know,” said Mother, “but we’ll begin if we can, even though it is the end of the week.”

Early next morning all three were out at the blueberry patch, picking away as hard as they could. Ben and Amy were thrilled to think they could help Mother like this, and they hoped they would have a lot of money to give her at the end of the day. They never grumbled once, no matter how tired they felt as the afternoon wore on. By and by, Farmer Jackson drove up in his truck and loaded the boxes of blueberries, paying for them on the spot.

Amy received about $1.50. Ben about $2.00 and Mother a little bit more. All were grateful and happy.

It had been a good day, and now they had money enough to buy groceries for the weekend.
“It will be lovely to get home again and clean up,” said Mother.
“Could we go by the creek?” asked Ben.
“Surely,” said Mother, “if you don’t mind the extra walk.”

The children said they didn’t mind, so off they all went through the blueberry patch to the creek. They had almost reached the bank when

Amy gave a cry of alarm. “My purse!” she cried. “Where is it?”
“Oh! You haven’t lost it, have you?” asked Mother anxiously.

“I don’t know,” said Amy. “I had it only a few minutes ago, but it’s gone. I must have dropped it somewhere.”
“And it had all your money in it,” Mother looked sad.
“Yes,” said Amy.
“A dollar and fifty cents. I never had so much money before.”

“And we need it so badly,” said Mother. “Come, let’s look for it.”
But the grass was long and the berry patch thick, and it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. They searched for an hour without success. They looked everywhere, even in the creek, but found no trace of the purse. Now the sun was getting low in the sky and they knew it would soon be dark. Hungry, weary, and discouraged, they stood for a moment wondering what to do next.

Mother and Ben said they should go home and leave the purse, but Amy thought they should stay and take one more look.

“Don’t you think we should kneel down and ask God to help us?” she asked.
“Maybe we should,” said Mother.
“Let’s do it.”

So they knelt there in the blueberry patch and told God all about their trouble, and how they needed His help right then and there, before darkness should fall. “Please, dear God,” said Amy, “help me to find my purse. You know where it is. Do tell us. Then we can go home happy.” Mother said Amen. So did Ben. And both hoped with all their hearts that God would answer Amy’s prayer.

Then they all stood up and searched some more. But all in vain.
“I’m afraid we’ll have to go, dear” said Mother. “It’s getting so late. It’s too bad, I know, and I’m so sorry-“ But she never finished the sentence, for all of a sudden she shouted, “There it is!”

Amy’s purse was right at her feet, a yard or so from the creek. She had nearly stepped on it.
“Now we must have another prayer meeting,” said Amy, “and thank God for being so good to us.”
They did. Right there in the blueberry patch.