Bees

Daily Gratitude Year 6- Day 136: Today, I am grateful for the bee.

I am pretty sure I have been grateful for honey... but I think I have forgotten the bee. You can't have one without the other. 

The bee population of the world has been threatened and dying for many years. Thank goodness for the many who have gotten behind this little miracle of nature to fight for his future. Crops today and crops tomorrow depend on them. Look into the studies of the remarkable success of crops pollinated by bees and crops pollinated by man's means. The bees do it better. 

Imagine that? The way God designed it is superior. Isn't it amazing that some of the sweetest crops like berried, blueberries and cherries are very bee dependant. Actually, there is a big list of foods that thrive when bees are healthy and alive. The crops are bigger and better when healthy bees can do their work. 

In places where the bees are scarce, people attempt to pollinate by hand with a paintbrush. It is not as good as the bees, but it keeps the crop from vanishing completely. Nature has such a delicate balance Unfortunately, many scientific studies are funded by companies needing a certain outcome. We can attempt to cheat "Mother Nature", but she was perfectly designed God's perfect hand. We, eventually, experience consequences, when we mess with the balance. 

Remember, when a bee stings... it is sacrificing it's life as a response to fear. It stings and it dies. Perhaps, God designed it to cause us to stay away from such an amazing little worker of wonders. The bee is very busy in a work day, visiting up to 2000 flowers a day, according to one statistic. What human can do that tedious work efficiently and effectively by hand? And the bee makes it look like a dance. 

I respect bees. Mama Ina Mae always said, "Leave them alone and they'll leave you alone." She was right. They did... except the one I stepped on as a kid. Yes, I was stung. Mama reminded me that I stepped on him, as she comforted by hurt. It wasn't really the bee's fault. We had an unplanned, unfortunate encounter. It cost the bee more than it cost me. 

Bees love sunflowers. Sunflowers turn their face to the sun(remember that post?). I think it is not a coincidence that the sunflowers and bees work together in harmony. Together, they sing His praises. Just because we cannot always hear nature sing with human ears, it still sings. Together, they work to His glory as the earth laughs in flowers and rich, bountiful crops. 

Please don't swat them. They have work to do. We need them. Not just for amazing honey... but for so many other food, spice and herb crops. Responsible stewardship matters. Pinterest has some great ideas for creating cute little "watering spots" for thirsty bees. They need shallow water to drink. 

Yes, we are to be good stewards. Farming was the first job God created. It is good and honorable work. 

"The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it." -Genesis 2:15

Work it.  Keep it. Stewardship matters. Keeping the balance matters. Worker bees matter as much as the queen... oh, there is a whole 'nother lesson there in that truth. The bees make a world a difference. With them, crops flourish. Without them, they die or dwindle away. 

Today, I am grateful for the bee.