Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Stung by Life

August 24, 2016

The strangest things can happen when one is driving a motorcycle with an upright bass strapped to the sidecar! I was on my way to my last bass lesson for the summer when a bee flew into my helmet butt first (I'm not sure how she managed to pull that one off!) and stung me on the cheek. I managed to pull the stinger out without going through any contortions, which was kind of nice, since I was on a motorcycle. I continued to my lesson, ran a few errands, and headed home with a sore cheek.

Tomorrow our first grandchild heads to college. I expect it will be a teary day for the entire family; I know I got an extra long hug from her before leaving her going-to-college party tonight. Linda and I both wrote her going-to-college letters; I will share with you the gist of what I shared with Alex.

I love riding my motorcycle! And I love playing my bass. In addition to the joy of the bike and the bass in themselves, I've met many interesting people as a result of these two loves. But even the things we love and the things we believe God has called us to do don't insulate us from the occasional bee that suddenly out of nowhere smacks into our face stinger first. Those unplanned intersections are not pleasant, but if we're smart, we don't let them deter us from the joys of our calling. My cheek still aches, but I love the bass and the bike more than I hate the pain from that stinger. Of course, life's bee stings can be much more catastrophic, but God always gives us options; we can praise him or curse him; we can focus on the good or let the bad suffocate the joys. I choose the former; I pray Alex will do the same, and tomorrow I will pick up my bass and practice for the joy of it. And I may even ride in the rain.

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