Petting Bumble Bees
Sunday, July 19th, 2009God has taught me so much through my experiences as a mother.
Becoming a parent and walking through all of the blessings and challenges that go along with parenting has grown and stretched me in ways I could have never anticipated. I’m sure every mother out there knows exactly what I am talking about.
Having children has been especially enlightening with regard to who I am in God’s eyes as His beloved child. We have all had those moments where we are in the middle of some parenting dilemma or frustration when the Holy Spirit lovingly whispers “Do you see yourself? There you are my child.”
This is the story of one of those times…
The weather was really nice on this particular day so my son and I were playing in the backyard. He couldn’t have been more than 2 years old. I was trailing behind him as he explored the backyard. He played with his trucks a while, we blew bubbles, kicked a soccer ball back and forth and found a caterpillar to watch. It was just a regular day at home with my little boy. I sure wasn’t expecting to receive some major insight, but isn’t that always the way it happens?
As we were watching the caterpillar crawling along on a leaf, a bumble bee buzzed by and landed on a nearby budding bush. My son was immediately captivated by this new and fun find. He watched the plump bug buzzing around the small, white flowers with great wonder. “It’s a bumble bee,” I whispered, but he didn’t acknowledge. He didn’t even blink; he was frozen in concentration as he took in the details of this fuzzy, striped bug. He was a safe distance away so I stood back to watch this mix of intrigue and delight. He was so quiet and still, eyes fixed, ears listening to the sound that this interesting discovery would make as it moved from flower to flower. Then, he took a step closer and at the same time his little hand moved toward the enticing, fuzzy, round bodied bug. I moved in and had his hand in mine before he knew what had happened. “No baby,” I said, “this bug stings.” His eyes met mine for just an instant and then returned to his new found infatuation. He pulled his hand away and determinedly said “Pet mumble mee.” He reached out again. This time I took his hands in mine and turned him toward me and away from the bee. I knelt down in front of him and more emphatically I repeated looking straight into his little eyes “No, you can’t pet the bumble bee, it will sting you.” I could see the disbelief in his eyes as he turned his head away from me and back to this enchanting yellow and black bug. He had never been stung by a wasp or bee. He had no idea what I was talking about, but it didn’t matter. I knew it would sting him, only he was not listening to me! That was when it hit me; that quiet whisper permeated inside me, “That’s you.”
Isn’t it amazing how very little the Holy Spirit has to say? Those two words were all I needed to hear and I completely understood what God wanted me to learn in that moment. I was still kneeling down in front of my son with his little hands in mine as God’s truth washed over me and permeated deep into my heart. My son’s face continued to turn away from mine to pursue the object he was set on exploring and I saw myself in his place and God in mine, holding my hands as He tries to warn me against a nearby temptation and danger. The bumble bee suddenly flew away as if it knew it had served its purpose. My son went off to find the next new and fun thing to explore, but as I stood back up I processed through the truth I had just received…
How many times Lord?
How many times have You watched as something dangerous caught my attention?
How many times have You stepped in to warn me about pursuing that object?
How many times have You realized that, in spite of Your loving guidance, I was not listening to You?
How many times have I completely ignored the warning I had unmistakably heard?
How many times has Your heart broken as I wrestled away from You?
How many times have You had to watch as the sting was delivered to your obstinate and determined child?
How many times have I sat, wishing I had listened after enduring the very thing You were trying to warn me against?
How many times have You held me tight as I suffered through a serious sting?
How many times Lord?
I’m sure I would be ashamed to know the number and yet You will never leave me or forsake me. You will never stop warning me. You will never stop guiding. You will always be there, arms open; to help me through the consequences I have to endure because I just would not listen.
Thank You Father. Thank You.
I walked away from that encounter with the bumble bee forever changed – even over 10 years later. Now, when I hear God’s warning or feel an unrest in my spirit, my mind’s eye immediately sees a bumble bee. I can picture my Daddy God, reaching down to take my hands in His, looking into my eyes and saying “No precious child. I love you too much to watch you get stung. Please listen to Me, I can see a danger you can’t see.”
I wish I could say I always listen, but what I can say is that these days; I am much less likely to be stung.
Thank You Father for using my everyday life to teach me about who You are.