You and Me and the Dandelions

 

picture by Manfriedrichter

But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. ~Malachi 4:2

As children we lay in the fields and picked dandelions, blowing the puff balls across the field or making crowns with the yellow flowers. As adults, we try to rid them from our lawns and gardens calling them weeds. Weeds indeed, the deep roots plow through the soil, loosening it to let the rain reach the grass and garden plants. We deprive the children of lazy days of enjoyment in nature while learning the natural way of seed distribution and plant reproduction. Ah, but to the point. Dandelions are another reminder that creation speaks of the Creator and they speak of us. 

Rooted and grounded deep in the soil, the dark green leaves show off the single orange flower head whose stem is hollow for the uptake of the water and nurtrients in the soil. The flower soon changes to the ball of fluff whose seeds are carried by the wind across lawns and fields to bring a rebirth of the flower in another place. So what does that have to do with you and me? 

• Deeply Rooted - We need to be deeply rooted in God's word. The Word gives us the nutrients we need to grow as Christians as well as the Water of Life. 
• Yellow Gold - The yellow gold flower head in the middle of the whorl of dark green leaves speaks of the King's crown, in the center of our lives. We are the living body of leaves surrounding our hearts which carry Jesus as the center of our lives. 
• Seeds Distribution - As the flower matures it shoots up a hollow stem that carries water and nutrients to the seed that form around the center of the flower. The seeds grow and mature until they are blown away to another place for another time, just as we should be maturing and raising our children to be the seeds transplanted to another place and time. A place and time to raise another godly generation.

Sometimes we may feel that the seeds have flown without their purpose but remember that not all flowers bloom as the same time. The living word you have implanted in those children will not be forgotten. In God's time they to will produce another generation to the Lord. 

Heavenly Father, help us keep You at the center of our lives. Help us show Jesus to our children in our daily living. Help us implant your word in their minds so their thoughts, their deeds, their ethics are demonstrations of You. May they see these same examples in our lives. In Jesus's name. Amen. 

Beekeeping Matters

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 

~Genesis 1:26

Two friends of mine, Hugh "Buddy" Williams and Joan Slemenda, have written a book about beekeeping. Its detailed information is written in a format for beginners so they won't be overwhelmed by all that's involved with beekeeping. There's even a journal to help the beekeeper keep track of the duties of caring for the bees. Buddy has kept bees for 50 years and Joan has also had hives for 15 years. Both can speak to the importance of knowing the little things that will help others be successful as beekeepers whether as a hobby or as a career. 

One of the first things the Lord commanded Adam and Eve was to have dominion over the fish, the birds, the cattle and over every creeping thing, like bees. Anyone who has a pet knows they need to care for that pet but have we realized how important it is to take care of all of creation? Anyone would realize that "creeping things"- insects can not be real pets like dogs and cats so why would God command us to have dominion over them? 

Does "have dominion" mean rule or does that mean care for? 

The answer to the question may be in first simply observing bees. Many of us tend to squash every bee we see. I get it. They sting and sometimes cause deadly reactions but bees like everything else in creation have a purpose. They are our pollinators. Without the bees there would be no food. When the bee enters a flower to gather the pollen for honey she also unintentionally dusts the pollen from other flowers helping produce fruit and seed to feed us and animals and to continue its own growth. 

What can we learn from bees? 

Worker bees have many jobs in their short lifespan. The younger ones care for the larvae, the baby bees. As they mature, the workers build the hive structure. Then the older workers gather the pollen that will be turned into the honey used to feed the hive and us. 

We go through stages in our lives as well. As young Christians, we are just learning about the Lord and how to serve. Then we build the structure, the church, becoming disciples, growing in the Lord, studying His Word, and spending time with other Christians. We often serve as Sunday School teachers, or nursery workers, choir members, or musicians. As mature Christians, we go into the "fields" witnessing to others. We may serve on the visitation crew, as deacons, as choir directors, or as pastors. 

Each of us has a job and that job depends on our maturity and willingness to fulfill that job. If the bees weren't willing to go into the fields as they matured the hive would die of starvation. If we are not willing to take on the responsibilities of a Christian, the church will die. 

Heavenly Father, help me not to be a pew warmer but a worker in your kingdom. Help me be aware of things I can learn and things I can do as I mature in You. In Jesus's name. Amen. 

If you are interested in learning more about bees or becoming a beekeeper, you may order from BeekeepingMatters@gmail.com.

 

Giving Up Our Children

 

Photo by Aditya Romansa

Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof. ~I Kings 3:27

In the story of King Solomon, two new moms who were prostitutes brought their babies to the king. One mom had lain on her baby in the night and smothered it. She had taken her dead baby and swapped it for the other mom's living baby. Now they argued before the king.

King Solomon sounded cruel when he asked for a sword to divide the living child in two but in reality he was revealing the heart of the true mother. She was willing to give up control of her child's life to save her baby. King Solomon returned the child to her because he knew only a real mother would be willing to give up her child for its life. 

As moms, we give up a lot for our children, even our own bodies. We to protect our babies, give them everything life has to offer, and hold them close, but are we willing to give them up for the sake of their lives? for the sake of their souls? We must give them up to the king, the King of kings if we want life for our babies. What would that look like? 

• Are we too tired to read a Bible story to our children each night? 
• Are we praying with them and for them?
• Are they involved in activities that would take them away from church, activities we feel would give them a better chance in life? 
• Are we willing to have less so we can raise our children instead of giving them up to others?  Prov 22:6
• Are we giving them our undivided attention when they want/need to talk to us? Deut. 11:19

We may not be the best mom just as the mom in our story wasn't the perfect mom. She wasn't married. Other moms probably wrote her off as unworthy of their company.  She lived as a prostitute but she was willing to give up her baby if it meant giving her baby life. 

Can we do better? How can we give our children to the King of Kings even when it means sacrificing the things we think are important to us? 

Maybe your toes feel stepped on. I know mine do. Maybe we feel like it's too late. It's never too late to give our children to the King of Kings. 

Heavenly Father, may I be willing to turn loose of control and let you have control of my children. In Jesus's name. Amen.