Bee Blessings

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose”
(Romans 8:28 KJV).

This spring I wanted to remember the lilacs. I wanted to savor their fragrance, storing it away for winter. Lilacs last such a short time. So I planned to visit the front yard often—the place where the lilacs live.

But bees scare me. So on most days I took only a conservative sniff of the flowers, lest I should inhale a bee by mistake. On a drizzly day at the end of May, however, an opportunity came. With no bees in sight, I breathed in that exhilarating floral scent to my heart’s content. The lilacs smelled so good, but after that, I felt so bad. Lost in a pollen fog, my lungs assured me that an interfering bee would have been a blessing after all.

Later I pondered the “bees” in my life—the disappointments that interfere with my plans. How many times has God protected me from harm by allowing my plans to fall through? How many times has a trial’s sting drawn me closer to Him? How many times has my world been shaken up to purge dead petals from my life? I may never know all of the reasons behind negative circumstances, but I know that God means them for my good. 

Because of my newly discovered allergy, my lungs will remember the lilacs for a long time. But my heart will cherish the blessings of the bee.