Fear, Bees, and Faith

My son is a terribly logical kid, but no amount of reasoning seems to dissuade his fear of bees. He’ll stay inside all day just to avoid them. And sure, he goes out at night when the bees have all turned in, but usually his potential friends are gone by then, too.

I happened to meet a beekeeper tonight and we talked about this very issue. He not only keeps bees, but he runs swarm removal service in Salt Lake City where he’ll catch bee swarms that might be bothering you. We both figured Ethan would get over his fear of bees once he’s been stung — but will that ever happen?

I think if you were to ask Ethan what his goals this summer are, he would not say, “To avoid being stung.” And yet, at this rate, he’s very likely to meet that unspoken goal, even though it keeps him from doing what he’d enjoy. Would a good mom force him to get out and get stung so he can hurry and get over it?

Am I doing the same thing in life? What are my goals? What is the Lord asking me to do that I might be afraid of, and am I living life as though my primary motivation is to avoid getting hurt?

Richard E. Turley spoke at the fireside I attended tonight. He specifically requested that we sing hymn #240, a song about the principle of agency. And he spoke about how the Lord would bless the faithful. So what do I choose: fear, or faith? God isn’t going to force us to heaven, or to happiness. And it isn’t just a matter of WANTING happiness, either. We have to have faith and trust in Him that all will be well, and then act in accordance with that trust, knowing that God will keep His promises to use. It’s something to think about.