In an Attic

 June 14, 2021

I must be a special kind of crazy. On a beautiful day like today, I spent four hours in an attic removing a colony of bees. I missed the best part of the day, and got stung in the process. FYI, a bee veil doesn’t always work when you’re looking overhead. The mesh moves closer to your neck when you’re looking up, and those little ladies take every advantage. My neck looks like a turkey’s wattle and my ankles look like I could have congestive heart failure. I should have taped my jeans so the little buggers couldn’t climb up inside. I can’t blame them. I too, would get somewhat miffed if someone violently tore my home apart like I did theirs.

In spite of it all, these critters fascinate me. One of this morning’s psalms was 104, praising God for the wonders and mysteries of Creation. The author speaks of the ocean’s boundaries, the flowing springs, green meadows, forests, and vineyards. Here’s an excerpt:

“He made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down. How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number— living things both large and small. I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord.”

—Psalm 104:19, 24-25, 33-34 NIV

As I drove to the house where the bees were, I marveled at the beauty all around me. The skies were bright blue with billowy clouds, corn was peeking up in the fields, hay was being put by for winter. What a beautiful part of the world I’ve been privileged to live in! This evening, Linda and I watched a favorite show of ours in which three British retired policemen were hired to work with a young woman officer solving old unsolved crimes. Tonight’s episode was about a tramp, a homeless man who was murdered while riding one of the trains in the Tube, London’s famous underground rail system. The coppers interviewed three homeless men and a young woman on the streets. As the show ended, I commented to Linda that I couldn’t imagine living like that, even though I know there are plenty of people who do. Even if not homeless, living in a city wouldn’t do for me. Like the psalmist, I prefer, and am grateful to be able to give thanks for the wonder of Creation that I get to see every day. Except for when I’m in an attic with 10,000 bees.