Bees, a four letter word

Our whole yard is a blanket of clover right now.

And therefore, one big blanket of BEES.

I hate bees. I don't care if they give us honey. They are evil, as far as I'm concerned. But, then again, I'm allergic. So that probably affects my opinion somewhat.

This spring I was sitting outside, watching the kids play in the cool of the day, Epipen by my side, when I saw it. The first bee of the season. My heart sunk. They ruin everything, those bees. So I began praying, yet again, what I pray every spring. "Oh, LORD, please don't let me get stung, ever again, for as long as I shall live. InJesusName. Amen."

Now, I've only ever been stung once, when I was 6 or 7, but once was enough. When my arm swelled up to four times its normal size, we realized I may have a slight allergy.

This year I began to pray a special prayer, "Oh, LORD, please, please, please don't let my kids get stung by any bees this summer. Unless they are not allergic. Then, please do let them be stung, but just once, so I'll know that they are not."

Then I tried to forget about the prayer and just trust and rest in God's protection. All the while continuing to bark at the kids to "put flip-flops on if you're going to go outside!".

But do they listen... NOoooooo! So, I chose to shrug my worries off and just let them run over fields of clover in bare feet if they so chose.

"Alright," I would say, "you may get stung by a beeeeee. Just so you knooowww..."

So guess who stepped on a bee this weekend?

Big A has been stung several times, so I know he is not allergic, but the two younger girls haven't ever been stung. There was a while there that I was just gripped by the fear of bees and dying by bee-sting (I know, I can be somewhat neurotic - I'm working on it, okay?). I was so afraid of hitting the mission field, walking along some deserted mountain road, and stepping on a hornets nest or something. Dead. By bee sting. That, and drowning, or being eaten by sharks, are my greatest fears. Oh, and heights.

Don't you feel better about yourself now? Chris is completely neurotic. Take heart - you're most likely not as bad as me.

Anway, I am so glad God answers prayer. Especially when you are least expecting it.

Little M stepped on a bee this weekend. And, boy, was she LOUD about it! Good thing I was not obsessing about bees at the moment, because I was able to go over to her, completely and miraculously CALM, and see what she was crying about (although I could guess, since she was bent over her foot and screaming bloody murder). The stinger and attached venom sack were still sticking out of her big toe. I had Tony pull out the stinger - 'cause you know, what if it sticks me or something? I watched her closely for the next five or ten minutes.

Fortunately, she does not seem to be allergic like her Mommy. Yay for answered prayer!

Whew. Glad that one's over. Now baby. I pray she gets doesn't get stung for at least another year or two...

I have a whole list of other prayer requests I'm waiting on the Lord to answer before we are able to take off for lands unknown. Maybe bees don't sound important to you, but the Lord knows I just need peace of mind in certain areas. If I am the only one allergic, then that's one less Epipen we have to carry around (if you can indeed get them there) and one less Mommy-worry for Mommy.

"Be anxious for nothing; but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds through Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:5

:)