Life

 September 17, 2021

Two weeks ago, the colony was bursting with bees and honey; today they were mostly gone, the hive robbed dry. I should have checked it earlier when I first noticed the lack of bees at the entrance, but we can’t always get to tasks quite when we want. The colony next door to it is doing fine, but one of the others may be queenless. It’s been more than twenty years since I first kept bees, and a lot has happened in the meantime; I know more about bees than most, but a whole lot less than the experts. I’m learning, but have a long way to go. In the meantime, losing a colony or two, while unpleasant, isn’t a total disaster. There’s always next year.

This evening, we were listening to our grandkids talk about situations in school, from classmates who bark like dogs to those who are confused about their sexuality and have no responsible adult able or willing to give the guidance they need. They are navigating relationships that for the girls at least, can get quite volatile as friendships and alliances are changing constantly. We are blessed in that our grandkids have solid parental support and guidance that shields them from some of the craziness. None of them have much patience with the drama of some of their friends. When it came time for nighttime prayers, Linda and I had the opportunity to brace them for the future by letting them know the drama sometimes carries over into adult life, but that God will use these kinds of situations to strengthen and develop them into godly and mature Christian men’s and women. Muscles get stronger when stressed by exercise; the soul gets stronger when facing life’s challenges in faith. 

Just like with my bees, things don’t always go as planned or desired, but with Christ, it doesn’t have to be the end of the world. Jesus strengthens us in prayer, worship, and Bible study, equipping us for the challenges that come with living. We are grateful tonight for the privilege of listening to, and praying with our grandkids. We learn, are better able to pray for them, and hopefully, are able also to impart a bit of wisdom and perspective for those times when their world is going nuts.