Balancing the "Bee"

While gardening this past week, I could not help but notice the numerous bees amongst the blooms in my flower beds. After my last blog, it seemed natural for me to take note of their behavior. I studied them closely to see if I caught them at rest, since I alleged last week that they were never still. What I observed in my garden taught me new lessons about my walk with God.

The bees buzzed purposefully around the blossoming plants. It appeared that although busy, their business was at all times on task and with purpose. Amazingly, they did not waste time as they went about collecting their pollen, but went in an order, from one bloom to the next closest bloom, and only to blooms that were worthy of visiting. They ordered their day. God calls us to "make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom." (Ps. 90:12 NLT) If only we would “bee” so wise, as we go about ordering our days. Secondly, I realized that the bees did appear to rest for a few moments, but it was purposeful resting. They rested ever so slightly as they landed upon each bloom. As I mentioned, the bees chose only blossoms that were worth visiting, those ready for harvesting, and those able to nourish the bee, meet its needs and help it in its work. When we stop, do we carefully consider where and with whom we are stopping? We might learn from these busy workers that we should land in a place that will benefit our God-given purpose, and we should stop and rest only long enough to meet our need and then continue along our way. If we rest longer than necessary, God's assignments are at risk of being ignored, put off, or missed altogether. Work is not getting done. So, while He desires us to “bee” still, we might do well to remember that God calls us to be still for a purpose. When the purpose is for resting our bodies, then when we are sufficiently rested, we should arise and work. When the purpose is to meet a need, such as to eat or to love another, we should fulfill it and then proceed to the next point on our journey. If the purpose is to worship, to pray, or simply to hear from Him, we should focus our minds on our Lord, refraining from daydreaming, creating mental “to do” lists, and contemplating the temporal, and then respond to His word in immediate obedience.

One challenge I face, and I feel certain I am not alone, is the challenge of balance in life. I tend to live at one extreme or the other, either working without ceasing, or ceasing without working. Each day is a gift of time that we are to use. I am currently reading Max Lucado’s new book, Every Day Deserves a Chance. In it he states, “An hour is too short, a year too long. Days are the bite-size portions of life, the God-designed segments of life management. A complete rotation of the earth. Both a sunrise and a sunset.” Each day is a perfectly designed, perfectly orchestrated, perfectly timed opportunity and gift from our great God. So during each unique segment of life we call a day, my goal from henceforth is to better balance the ceasing with the working. God built me in such a way to require me to rest my body physically. He also built me to rest spiritually, emotionally and intellectually. But God also created me to fulfill a unique purpose to which I am called. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10 NASB) Walk in them. Not rest in them. Therefore, I must also utilize each day to complete my assigned work.

Finally, I noted that the bees’ buzzing presence diminished as the morning turned to noonday. But the last lesson is found in their morning activity. We all know bees make honey. But for these particular bees, and maybe only for the ones God sent in my yard that day, their morning work was not the making of honey. It was about getting ready to make honey. It was all about preparation. They rested long enough to gather what was necessary to head off to their workplace. Do we rest long enough in the morning to be still and gather the instructions, the tools, and the spiritual nourishment before getting busy on our work? Do we take time to be still, even for the slightest moment, and ready ourselves for each day by spending time with God, the Giver, the Provider and the Source of all we need?

I guess I’m refreshed in a way, realizing that buzzing about like a busy bee isn’t totally out of God’s will for my life, as long as I take purposeful rests as God ordains them. These rests allow me to successfully complete the work that He calls me to do. While too much rest results in my not getting His work done completely, too much work results in my failing to get His work done successfully, for it would likely be done apart from His voice of direction and His supernatural power, both best accessed first thing each morning. To complete our assigned daily work and to do it in a way that honors Him requires first resting, then receiving, and finally responding to His marching orders, which most likely will include making a little honey sometime during the day.