Some sensible person on the local council has planted a bee & butterfly meadow in the park. All sorts grow- borage, marguerite, poppies, salsify and stunning blue cornflowers. It is wild and civilised all at the same time!
When I take my camera out to pray, I am obliged to slow down and really look. Wildflower meadows are challenging because it looks lovely in a very untidy way. Quick photos end up as a blur of mixed colours, and are rarely worth your attention.
Slowing down and concentrating makes me pay proper attention- and I start to see the insect life, the bees and bugs which are fascinating. Without the bees to pollinate flowers and crops, we would all die from hunger. And we’d be without honey!
Honey is a health food, with antibacterial properties and soothing qualities as well as its delicious sweetness. Honey can make you feel better. I found this quote from “Winnie the Pooh”… I think we’ve all felt a bit Pooh sometimes, and a good friend like Piglet can work wonders. Perhaps we can be Piglet for someone we know?
Getting back in touch with our soul is helped by those honey moments and the friends who care.
If I hadn’t stopped to look… if I hadn’t taken the time to see what was in front of me… my day would have been different and somehow less than it turned out to be.
You might think it fanciful- but I think God played the role of Piglet for me. The wild flowers, bees, and the promise of honey made me feel better. My soul was restored.
God told the Israelites enslaved in Egypt that He would lead them to to a land of “milk and honey.” A place of plenty instead of the wilderness, a place of hope replacing the slave whips. It shaped the whole outlook of the Israelites for centuries- “We were prisoners and slaves, but God set us free and provided for our needs.” There is a very real sense in which that represents what God wants for all of us- a life of hope, rest, and goodness. Fancy taking a camera for a walk, and seeing what God may show you? I’d like to hear about it if you do that. Have a truly blessed day.
Perhaps this post may bring you “tea and honey” and help you reconnect?
Dear God, thank you for the Piglet moments, the love and care of a good friend. Thank you for caring about us: thanks for a world of flowers, bees and honey, for cameras that help us pray, and for all those moments which restore our souls and reconnect us to Your amazing grace and love. Thank You- in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
The Reflectionary 