But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the LORD… Jeremiah 30:17
I have a cousin who was more like a little sister to me as she was growing up. I was always staying with her mom and dad, and I used to babysit her. I think it was during that time when I realized how much I’d like to have a family of my own someday. I enjoyed helping care for her, making her smile, and teaching her new things. When I would babysit her, we would often go on picnics right by her house. There was an old school house that had swings and a slide. When she was too little to swing on her own, I would hold her in my lap and we would slowly swing back and forth while I would tell her nursery rhymes and sing silly songs. What fun we had!
My grandparents lived right down the alley from that school house. On a sunny, summer day everyone was gathered together at Grandma and Grandpa’s because there was going to be a community parade and carnival in the evening. While we were waiting for the time of the parade to arrive, a few of us “young ones” decided to take my little cousin to play for a while.
We had a great time, but as we were heading back to the house I felt something go up my shorts. It was a bee and it stung me in my rear! Apparently, since I wasn’t flapping my arms and doing the bee is up my shorts dance, it decided to really make sure it got me…over and over again. Boy did that hurt! Of course, I couldn’t do anything about it because I was carrying that sweet little girl in my arms, and my number one priority was to keep her protected. Therefore, no bee dance.
When we got back, I handed her over and went to get babied myself. Grandma made some miracle cream to put on those horrendous bites. Ok, maybe she just pulled out some toothpaste, but grandmas know how to make things better! It did soothe the sting and the festivities could continue without giving that bee the satisfaction of ruining my day.
The days of that little playground are gone and the school house is now apartments. That little girl is all grown up and doing well in a career that she enjoys. Times change, but there are still chances of getting stung. Do we handle it with grace and dignity or with frustration and complaining? God is always waiting to soothe the stings in life if we only allow Him.
Would I have as much dignity now if I was stung like I had back then? Would the whole neighborhood hear me hollerin’? Would I feel it necessary to bring it up and make everyone around me listen to the moaning and groaning about what that bee did to me?
Today, instead of complaining to everybody we see about our stings, let’s go directly to the One with the ability to heal our wounds.
