What's black and yellow and sure to sting?
I hate bees.
With a passion.
I'm not technically allergic or anything, but I have a morbid hatred of the little buggers - when I see one, or worse yet, when one dares to fly within a three-foot radius of me, terror strikes my heart. Bring out the smelling salts.
Over my lunch breaks, I like to spend the time in the Word, in quiet fellowship with God. And as today was absolutely breath-takingly beautiful, I made sure to find some place outdoors. So I headed in the direction of Centennial Lakes - and it was simply lovely there today. I found a table right on the water but just as I was getting settled, I noticed a lone black and yellow pest buzzing around my table, around me, around my Bible (who did he think he was?)!
My heart sank because I knew: it was a table covered, no doubt, with "bee-food," or remnants of food left behind by the last occupants, and he was sure to be flying around me for the entirety of my lunch break. There was no way I was going to be able to concentrate and submit myself to God's Word - I was going to be reading with one eye constantly roving, keeping watch for The Bee.
Suddenly realizing this as the distraction it was, I prayed earnestly that I would not be distracted from my reading and praying, that either the bee would stay away from me while I was at the table or that my focus would not be thwarted by the afore mentioned stinger-adorned flying insect. God was mighty to close the ravenous lions' mouths in the presence of Daniel; He's sovereign over something as...dinky as the flight of bees.
As I started reading, I noted no distraction. The bee was nowhere to be seen; my heart swelled in thankfulness. Soon after this realization however, I heard the two little girls at the next table over started to shout. "Shoo! Shoo, bee!! SHOOOO!! Go away, bee! Shooooo!!!" they screamed. As their mother tried to calm their excited exclamations by explaining that bees don't have ears, I smugly smiled to myself, thinking, Heh heh heh. I prayed about the bee bothering me, and now, ahh. No bee. And now I'm reading the Bible without any disturbance. Ha!
How revolting.
The thoughts had hardly formed in my mind when a bee zipped past my face and hovered over my table. How easily and sneakily can the sin of pride weasel its way in to take hold of a heart. I mean, c'mon - I was reading the Bible and I had prayed....and I was proud of that.
And by the sweet power of the Holy Spirit, I was convicted as I realized that, just as I wouldn't be able to fully submit myself to reading God's Word and concentrate with the distraction of the bee right there, similarily I wasn't going to be able to do likewise with the hinderance of pride in my heart.
I repented and spent my lunch break reading about boasting in our weaknesses...
With a passion.
I'm not technically allergic or anything, but I have a morbid hatred of the little buggers - when I see one, or worse yet, when one dares to fly within a three-foot radius of me, terror strikes my heart. Bring out the smelling salts.
Over my lunch breaks, I like to spend the time in the Word, in quiet fellowship with God. And as today was absolutely breath-takingly beautiful, I made sure to find some place outdoors. So I headed in the direction of Centennial Lakes - and it was simply lovely there today. I found a table right on the water but just as I was getting settled, I noticed a lone black and yellow pest buzzing around my table, around me, around my Bible (who did he think he was?)!
My heart sank because I knew: it was a table covered, no doubt, with "bee-food," or remnants of food left behind by the last occupants, and he was sure to be flying around me for the entirety of my lunch break. There was no way I was going to be able to concentrate and submit myself to God's Word - I was going to be reading with one eye constantly roving, keeping watch for The Bee.
Suddenly realizing this as the distraction it was, I prayed earnestly that I would not be distracted from my reading and praying, that either the bee would stay away from me while I was at the table or that my focus would not be thwarted by the afore mentioned stinger-adorned flying insect. God was mighty to close the ravenous lions' mouths in the presence of Daniel; He's sovereign over something as...dinky as the flight of bees.
As I started reading, I noted no distraction. The bee was nowhere to be seen; my heart swelled in thankfulness. Soon after this realization however, I heard the two little girls at the next table over started to shout. "Shoo! Shoo, bee!! SHOOOO!! Go away, bee! Shooooo!!!" they screamed. As their mother tried to calm their excited exclamations by explaining that bees don't have ears, I smugly smiled to myself, thinking, Heh heh heh. I prayed about the bee bothering me, and now, ahh. No bee. And now I'm reading the Bible without any disturbance. Ha!
How revolting.
The thoughts had hardly formed in my mind when a bee zipped past my face and hovered over my table. How easily and sneakily can the sin of pride weasel its way in to take hold of a heart. I mean, c'mon - I was reading the Bible and I had prayed....and I was proud of that.
And by the sweet power of the Holy Spirit, I was convicted as I realized that, just as I wouldn't be able to fully submit myself to reading God's Word and concentrate with the distraction of the bee right there, similarily I wasn't going to be able to do likewise with the hinderance of pride in my heart.
I repented and spent my lunch break reading about boasting in our weaknesses...
posted by Jennifer at 2:46 PM
2 Comments:
In some sense this is a funny post. In another sense, it's sad pride got in the way :(.
I say it's funny because I had an encounter with a bee. A few of us took a trip up the mountain to do some rock climbing (I was riding in the back of this guys jeep). So we pull over to where we need to get out and hike to the spot and my friend gets out quick to take a peek at the sign to see if it's a "no parking" sign. Well he comes back laughing about it and saying he couldn't believe it said what it said.
Anyway, I get out and throw my backpack on the ground. To go pick it up again after getting out. As soon as I put it on, and let my right arm rest against the pack.... I got stung. Man, what a suprise... Soon after it followed by a couple laughters. Apparently the sign said "Beware of meat bees." Apparently, I was notified a bit late.
Needless to say, I've been rather cautious around bees from then on.
Yikes! But that's a funny story, Frank.
I think mine is a funny story too - very sad that pride got into the mix - but funny that God can use bees to teach me a lesson. Who would have thought?
I'm sure to never see another bee in the same way again! :)
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