Sara J. Mikkelson
A sudden movement caught my eye amid a cluster of flowers. I leaned in a little bit closer to see a plump, fuzzy bee hovering above the flowers. She seemed a little hyper for a photogenic pose, as she franticly gathered nectar before the cool autumn weather claimed the flowers. The nectar she was gathering would later be turned into honey and saved for the winter food supply of the bees in her hive.
“How sweet are Thy Words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” ~ Psalm 119:103
When we see a bee the two most common things that come to mind are honey and stingers. However, there is a lot more to bees than just the delicious food we enjoy and the dangers these creatures can pose if they feel threatened. According to Texas Honey Queen, Hayden Wolf, bees are a very important part of our ecosystem. Their most important job is not producing honey for us, but pollinating plants as they gather nectar to make honey. Without bees leaving a trail of pollen dust behind, the plants couldn’t produce enough seeds for the next year, causing a shortage in plants. Of course, a shortage in plants (like clover that cows eat) would cause a shortage in other food supplies like beef and dairy.
Our ecosystem has many different parts (bees, plants, animals, and humans) that are dependent on each other. This is yet another big problem for evolution. Bees need nectar from flowers to make their food. Flowers need bees to spread pollen so they can make the seeds that will grow into the next generation of flowers. Bees and flowering plants need each other to survive and thrive. This presents a big problem for evolution, because flowering plants and bees would have to evolve individually over millions of years. It makes much more sense to believe that God created flowering plants on day 3 of creation week and bees on day 5 than to believe in chance.
In a similar way, every Christian has an important role to play in the Church (meaning the Body of Christ – everyone who has been made pure by the blood of the Lamb). As believers, we were not meant to minister alone, but to work together by using our gifts to bless others and ultimately bring glory to God. It’s tempting to let pride get in the way and want to be completely independent. I know that I have turned down offers for help or gifts out of pride or fear. At first glance a bee may look rather small and insignificant, just like our own daily work and lives may seem. But as long as you are following the leading of the Lord and using the gifts He has given you for His glory, He can truly use your life as an irreplaceable part of His bigger plan.
“He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: And with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee” ~ Psalm 81:16
Copyright Sara J. Bruegel, 2014. Used with permission.
