A friend comes to my house once a week for assistance in learning a new skill. Several weeks ago, when she arrived at my house, there was a plastic bag hanging from my front door. When I answered the doorbell, she handed me the bag, which was rather heavy, and we looked inside.
The bag was full of beautiful, ripe figs. I was astounded! There was no note or any kind of identification that would give me a clue to the mysterious donor. It was like manna from heaven! I made room in my fridge for the bag until I had time to deal with the fruit.
When my friend left a couple of hours later, I shared some of the figs with her. She was very appreciative and said her husband would be so pleased.
There were still a couple of pounds of figs in the bag. I ate a few and they were delicious! But there was no way I could eat them all before they went bad. That is when I decided to make preserves. I knew from experience how great they tasted on toast at breakfast!
The house my parents moved into after I grew up had a fig tree in the backyard and it bore fruit abundantly every year. My mother knew how to can and would produce multiple jars of fig preserves. She always shared some with my family. Both my dad and my husband were ecstatic when summer rolled around and the figs ripened.
But I have never canned anything and had no desire to start now. I decided to research online for an easier way to stretch out the enjoyment of the figs. The first thing I learned was that figs are native to the Middle East and have been cultivated for more than 11,000 years. Tear-shaped, they are actually clusters of tiny red or pink flowers with edible seeds inside a peel that is brown, soft green or purple. Sweet and nutritious, they contain lots of fiber that is great for digestion and gut health!
My mother’s fig preserves were made with whole figs and lots of sugar. I try to limit my intake of sugar for a healthier lifestyle. Since figs are one of the sweetest fruits, it was not a problem to find a recipe without a great deal of sugar. To make the jam, I washed and trimmed the figs, cut them into small pieces and included a bit of lemon juice, water, sugar and honey. They simmered for about ten minutes in a saucepan and because figs contain natural pectin, they thickened nicely into jam. I placed the jam into small glass jars. Though the jam would have kept two or three months in the frig, it was gone in a couple of weeks!
So how to use the figs wisely had been solved, but not the mystery of who blessed me with them. I was not aware of a neighbor or anyone I know who has a fig tree. But since all backyards are fenced, it is impossible to see what might be planted in them. I randomly asked people that I interface with if they had left figs on my front door. No one said yes. Some did comment that they wish they grew figs and had them to share.
I decided it was a random act of kindness. “Lord,” I prayed, “what a joy it was to receive the figs! I would love to know who blessed me with them, but I thank You because You are the ultimate source of every good gift!”
Working in my yard is something I truly enjoy. It has been very limited this summer because of the heat and humidity. I have discovered a breeze usually comes up about nine in the morning, and I can do a bit of weeding in deep shade for an hour or a little more depending on the conditions. Sometimes people who are out walking for daily exercise stop and engage me in conversation.
A single lady who lives several doors down the street has stopped to visit with me several times during the past year. She moved here from California and likes to learn about different plants and flowers that are growing in my yard. Last week she stopped again.
It had been a while since I had seen her. She is very friendly and nice, and we chatted for a bit. Then she said, “I wonder if you got the figs I left on your front door several weeks ago? Though I rang the doorbell, no one answered. You obviously were not home, but I left them anyway. I hope they did not spoil!” The mystery was solved and I thanked her profusely!
As I thought further about what had happened, it came to mind that the Lord is constantly doing random acts of kindness for me. Deliberately doing unplanned things for others has not been big on my radar but certainly needs to be! Lord, make me aware and obedient as you place opportunities in my path!
August 30, 2026
So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone …
Galatians 6:10
