Bee Stings

This past November, my mom, baby and I were traveling to visit my brother. We got up earlier than the sun since his home was a 3 hour drive away. We headed on down the road toward our destination. After about an hour and a half, we stopped at a rest area to feed and change the baby.

Once inside the restroom, I told my mom I felt like there was a stone in my boot. I surely needed to get it out before we left. No sooner did I finish my sentence, I felt a stinging pain in my toe. I was so overwhelmed by pain that I actually became lightheaded and things were a blur for a few short minutes.

I whipped off my boot and shook it only to watch a wasp crawl out. Our home had been infested with these wasps throughout the summer and fall. However, to my knowledge they were contained to the outside of our house.

Once I collected my thoughts, I became furious! Why didn’t we take care of them when the problem first began? I stewed on the pain some more and shifted the blame to my husband (who wasn’t even present when I got stung)!

Nevertheless, we had a destination to get to by a certain time. So, I got back in the driver’s seat and we headed on down the road again.

I prayed aloud to God saying, “I don’t know your purpose for wasps, but you created them anyway. I don’t know why I got hurt, but I know you work out everything for my good anyway.” Today, God revealed to me something incredible about the situation that occurred that day.

When we get stung by bees we do whatever we can to relieve the pain.

I wrapped my toe in a baby wipe (that’s all I had initially on hand). Then, upon arriving to my brother’s house I took ibuprofen and coated my toe in honey.

On the contrary, when we get stung by people we tend to relive the pain.

Let that sink in for a minute. I for one have been guilty of this very thing! When someone has hurt my feelings I’ve held onto that pain. And for a very long time- I keep reliving it.

If we let a bee sting go untreated it swells up at the site, the pain throbs harder, and in worse cases can become infected. Similar symptoms occur if we let a hurt caused by someone go untreated. Our hearts swell from anger, pain throbs the longer we think on it, and our attitude toward them or even others can become infected.

So here’s our 3-step plan of treatment:

1st- Forgive them. That’s right, we may need to swallow our pride and be the first to forgive. Just as Jesus forgives us when we continue to mess up or hurt his feelings.

Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. -Galatians 4:32 (NLT)

2nd- Give them grace. Showing them free and unmerited favor. Just as Jesus extends grace to us when we don’t deserve it.

And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved. -Romans 11:6 (NLT)

3rd- Love them. Whether you say this aloud or just within your heart, resolve to love them through the hurt they’ve caused. Just as Jesus loves us.

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. -John 13:34-35 (NLT)

Friends, let’s call upon Jesus to help us relieve those stings caused by people.

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“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”- Romans 8:28 (NLT)

Preparedness

When it comes to necessary supplies for our family I’m a bit overly prepared. I took a look at some of our household goods and thought to myself I had better get a shopping list ready for a trip to Walmart.

You may look at this picture and see enough supplies to last us another couple weeks (or more) yet. But to me, it’s time to restock! A trip to the store for a few supplies can be a bit burdensome, especially when you have to bundle up a baby and a diaper bag to drive 20 minutes away. Can anyone relate?

It’s a pet peeve of mine to run out of such necessary items. Any of my close relatives know I have a small stockpile in a storage closet for similar must-have items.

Many of you may procrastinate getting supplies, and trust me when I say I procrastinate too when it comes to other things. You aren’t going to be chastised if you’re not a well prepared person!

There’s something utterly wonderful that can be taken away from my extreme preparedness. We should seek this very thing from Jesus for our minds, bodies, and spirits. But what are the necessary supplies we need to restock in order to meet this state of readiness?

Think of how important fruit is for our bodies. In the same respect, there are fruits needed for our spirit that are just as significant. Galatians 5:22-23 says,

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

When we offer up any of these fruits toward others we aren’t to be choosy with whom to distribute, we aren’t to hold onto these fruits to save them for another day, we aren’t to allow the supply to run out.

If you’re feeling low on these fruits, no matter how much or little, it’s time to talk to Jesus and ask Him to replenish them today! If you don’t know where to start or how to ask, I have provided a prayer for you already:

Father God, My supply regarding your fruits of the Spirit seems empty. However, I know you are the same God who takes care of me. You will supply all of my needs from your glorious riches, which have been given to me in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:19). May you continually remind me to share these fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control to everyone that I encounter. I ask all of these things in your name. Amen.

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“A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad.”- Matthew 12:33 (NLT)

SOS!

My inspiration for creating this blog began with the understanding that people want or need to know more about Jesus. Some search in wrong places. Some go to the Bible but leave frustrated because they misunderstand. Some are too fearful, embarrassed, ashamed, or [insert other feeling here] and it has inhibited them to go and ask questions. It has caused them to be content with silence.

If this is you, I encourage you to break the silence, to find your voice, and to call out for help!

Let’s take a look at the original meaning of the term SOS. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes it as such: “a call or request for help or rescue”. If you wound up reading this blog, you may have a deep urgency to call for help when it comes to learning about Jesus and His word! (Hooray!)

SOS was used as an abbreviation for ‘Save our soul’ when using the radio ‘Morse Code’ to signal distress. The correlation here is remarkable- we should feel the urgency to call out to Jesus to truly save our soul!

Now, I’m using SOS as an abbreviation for my own blogging purposes.

In the Bible, we are recognized as Christ’s sheep, and He is our shepherd. Isaiah 40:10-11 (NLT) is a beautiful example of this–

Yes, the Sovereign Lord is coming in power.
    He will rule with a powerful arm.
    See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.

He will feed his flock like a shepherd.
    He will carry the lambs in his arms,
holding them close to his heart.
    He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.

You, my friend, are one of Christ’s sheep. You may have felt the guilt of silence. Here, I encourage you to ask questions, to express yourself freely, to confide in this community of people.

You may have been a ‘Sheep Once Silenced’, but here you’re finding your voice. In this blog, I will be guiding you to the exploration of self and to gain a deeper knowledge and understanding regarding Jesus and His word.

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“Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.”- Galatians 6:2 (NLT)