“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28 KJV).
This spring I wanted to remember the lilacs. I wanted to savor their fragrance, storing it away for winter. Lilacs last such a short time. So I planned to visit the front yard often—the place where the lilacs live.
But bees scare me. So on most days I took only a conservative sniff of the flowers, lest I should inhale a bee by mistake. On a drizzly day at the end of May, however, an opportunity came. With no bees in sight, I breathed in that exhilarating-floral scent to my heart’s content. The lilacs smelled so good, but after that, I felt so bad. Lost in a pollen fog, my lungs assured me that an interfering bee would have been a blessing after all.
Later I pondered the “bees” in my life — the disappointments that interfere with my plans. How many times has God protected me from harm by allowing my plans to fall through? How many times has a trial’s sting drawn me closer to Him? How many times has my world been shaken up to purge dead petals from my life? I may never know all of the reasons behind negative circumstances, but I know that God means them for my good.
Because of my newly discovered allergy, my lungs will remember the lilacs for a long time. But my heart will cherish the blessings of the bee.
Christine Laws is a freelance writer and editor living amid the wildflowers in Amity. Her essays, poems, and stories have appeared in a variety of magazines and church papers. She is also the author of “Fresh and Fruitful: Cultivating the Art of Writing.”
