We had to go back. The job wasn’t done. In spite of our painful experience with our “unfriendly hive,” we had yet to look inside the hive to see whether or not the queen was laying eggs. Neither Suki nor I was looking forward to coming face to face with those temperamental girls again.
Nevertheless, yesterday we loaded up the truck and headed back out to our friend’s field. This time we were prepared. I had learned my lesson. We had our full suits, our smoker, towels to cover the boxes and our hive tools. Plus, we prayed.
As we approached the hive we could see dozens of bees flying around the entrance. Some were coming in with pollen and nectar while others launched themselves from the entrance like divers springing off a diving board. Bees were pouring out of the hive like kids breaking out of school for recess.
“That’s a LOT of bees,” Suki said.
I agreed.
We zipped up our suits and lit the smoker. “Ready?” I asked.
Suki nodded and puffed smoke at the entrance. I lifted the lid and she puffed more smoke into the top of the hive.
We slid our hive tools under the top box and pried it loose. Then, grabbing the heavy box on both sides we gently moved it off the hive and onto another box and covered it with a towel. The bees were calm. So we repeated the process with the second box.
We examined almost every frame in the hive, made some adjustments and found the queen. She was doing great. Many of the frames were filled with brood (new baby bees who weren’t hatched yet) — so the hive was growing. The bees looked healthy and there didn’t seem to be any pests bothering them. That’s always a good sign.
We make some adjustments in the boxes to make sure they had enough honey and closed up the hive — without a single sting!
It seems my book barely scratched the surface of what we can learn from the bees. Obviously, the bees (and God) still have more to teach us.
So, here’s what I RE-learned this time …
- ALWAYS do things the right way
- NEVER think the rules don’t apply to you
- DON’T take shortcuts
There really is a right way and a wrong way to do some things when you’re working with the bees. When we take the time to tend the bees with the proper protection and using a smoker we’re less likely to get stung.
Every hive is unique. No matter how docile the bees may seem in one hive there’s no guarantee the next hive will act the same. The rules are there to keep you safe in every encounter. Rules are not bad.
Shortcuts do not save time. It may take a few minutes to light a smoker, but the time saved by not having to re-examine the bees later makes it worth the effort.
So, now here are the God-lessons I RE-learned …
- ALWAYS do things God’s way
- NEVER think God’s rules don’t apply to you
- DON’T take shortcuts
While it may seem like God’s boundaries are restrictive, they’re not. Boundaries are designed to help us live our lives to the fullest. God’s doesn’t want to “cramp our style,” He wants to see us prosper and the best way to do that is to follow His guidelines.
Shortcuts undermine the abundance of life and often lead us down unstable dangerous paths. Taking the time to follow the right path, even though it’s longer, will bring us into encounters with delightfully rich experiences. AND, we won’t get stung!
***
What’s Been Happening
I was delighted to spend the afternoon at Linebaugh Library signing books. Lots of friends stopped by to say hello and I also met some wonderful new friends. Here I am presenting my book to Carol Ghattas, Branch Librarian at Linebaugh Public Library. Hopefully, it will be on the shelves soon.
What’s Ahead
On Saturday, March 10 I’ll be one of three speakers for the 2018 Christian Women’s Conference of Middle Tennessee at the Blue Ribbon Circle in Shelbyville, Tn.
Patty Howell and Catherine Daugherty, two amazing women of God will also be speaking on the topic: Bloom Where You Are Planted. I’m looking forward to hearing their inspiring words of encouragement.
The event is almost sold out, but you can still purchase tickets at the door. The cost is $20 and includes lunch. I hope to see you there!
Recent Comments