I think in analogies...

All growing up, I had a serious phobia of bees.  The sheer sound of a “Bzzzz” would send me running in circles, screeching while my hands wailed out of control.   I would detour my path if I saw bees in the clearing; and no matter what I was doing, I was willing to let the bee take over my space to insure a 100 yd distance. 

My caution and fear of the stinger followed me into my teen years; pride set aside, as the sight of a bee still sent me into a frenzy.  I thought I had mastered the art of bee running, until one day the little sucker was buried in the sand stinger side up…my foot could no longer out run, as the stinger latched perfectly to my heal.  I winced for a slight second as I was caught off guard to the tiny prick.

THAT WAS IT?!?!? A MERE SECOND OF DISCOMFORT? I spent years running and screaming and making a ruckus for that?

Should I be appalled, embarrassed, or relieved?

…appalled that the anticipation of the sting was more painful than the sting itself?

…embarrassed that I made a bee sting a lifelong phobia

…or simply relieved that none of my fears were confirmed, and the little bugger no longer has an effect on me?

There are many stingers in this world that prelude a caution of buzzing, sending me running in circles, screeching with hands waiving in the air. I grow fearful, anxious, and create the effect each scenario will cause through my imagination. Rather than resting on faith and truth, the buzz sends me on detours if I can see a "sting" in the clearing. I hurl to a sudden stop, creating enough distance, giving way to the "stinger".

Inevitably, regardless of my best effort to detour my “stingers”, they find me.  Usually I am caught off guard, as they burry themselves stinger side up; anticipating the moment I can’t outrun them.  Some stingers sting worse than others, but each leave me appalled, embarrassed, and relieved as the realization sets in: the buzz was more painful than the sting.

As I look back on years of bee running…I wasted too much time on detours, and too much energy on fear.  The promise of the sting kept me enslaved to anxiety and worry, as my imagination created a false promise of a pain that did not uphold truth.  If I had stopped running, and fixed my mind on truth; truth that a bee sting is NOT going to kill me…I would not have been held captive for so many years. 

As my analogy of bee running set in, I was forced to ask myself what stingers in life am I running from?

…am I putting my trust in the false promise of a buzz to produce a painful sting?

….has my imagination created a false reality enslaving me to anxiety and worry?

…am I creating unnecessary detours?

Realizing that fear is built on lies, and truth is built on faith…I see that satan has used lies to detour me from truth.  God gave me HIS armor… “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.” (Eph. 6:16)  God says in Isaiah 41:10 to “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you”

The false promise of the sting only leaves me appalled and embarrassed…Gods truth, however, gives me strength and faith with the assurance of deliverance. 

No more detours from this girl.  “The Lord is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped.  My heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him!” -(Psalm 28:7)