A Lesson in Trust – the Story of the Bees

Summertime always reminds of one of the great lessons of trusting that my young son taught me.  Erik was afraid of bees - the sight of bees would put wings on his feet, and he would be "gone in a flash."

Erik also liked to draw, and one day, a friend gave Erik a sketch pad.  When the doorbell rang unexpectedly one afternoon and I heard my husband welcome some friends, I scurried through the apartment, picking up stray items, including Erik's sketch pad, and stashed them somewhere so they would not be noticed.

That evening, when Erik asked for his sketch pad, I could not remember where I had put it. A quick search failed to reveal the hiding place, and I promised Erik I would find it the next day.  I had no better luck in remembering the next day or the day after that. In my haste I had hidden it well.  After family devotions that evening, Erik and I prayed together that God would help Mommy remember where she had put his sketch pad.  Upon entering my study that evening, I noticed that the sketch pad was stuck between some important papers on my desk.  An elated Erik and his Mom, together, thanked God for his aid in finding the missing pad.

The next day, as Erik and I were walking together outside, the familiar tunes from the ice cream truck that visited the neighborhood daily caught our attention. Supper was finished, and here came the ice cream truck.  One of the few things that Erik liked better than drawing was the joy of eating a good ice cream cone. So we stopped, purchased our treats, and continued our walk.

Sure enough, along came a bee or two to buzz around the sweet treat. This time, instead of taking off swiftly, Erik stopped, bowed his head, and prayed: "Dear God, please keep the bees away from my ice cream cone.  Amen."  Then he continued on our walk, absolutely convinced that a God who could find his sketch pad, would also keep the bees away from his ice cream cone.  And God did!

Jesus told his followers, "Don’t worry about your life. Look at the birds, see the beauty of my creation, see how my Father cares for it all – you're worth far more to Him than that. So don’t worry, but seek God’s Kingdom and God’s righteousness first, and God will take care of all your needs." (Matthew 6:33).

Erik had already learned who to trust. In my heart, I prayed: "Lord, thank you for the lesson Erik is teaching me.  All our concerns matter to you, and you are totally trustworthy."  May we all be reminded of that truth daily.

Written by Gloria Hohn
Asbury Park Corps