Jael Learns the "Bee" Attitudes

Jael Learns the "Bee" Attitudes

  by Melissa A. Brown

  Book Three in The Littlest Missionary Series

  Copyright 2013 Melissa Brown

  More Titles in The Littlest Missionary Series from Melissa Brown Coming Soon!

  Jael is super excited about Australia. She feels so ready to go and tell all the little boys and girls about Jesus’ love and wishes that she and her mommy and daddy could all leave tomorrow. Jael’s mom reminds her about deputation and how God still has lessons for them to learn before they go.

  “But I want to go NOW, Mommy” Jael whines, “I know about Jesus’ love, the cross and Christmas and Easter. I even learned all the ten commandments…ALL 10! What more is there?” Jael’s mommy smiles, “What about the B-attitudes from Matthew 5?”

  Now Jael is REALLY confused. Bee attitudes, she thinks, what do bees have to do with going to Australia? Um, Jael tries to think about all the she knows about bees: black and yellow, make honey, live in hives, have a queen. Jael thinks and thinks but still can’t see how bees have anything to do with her family going to Australia. Do bees get mad or sad about being in Australia? Are they happy about making honey, or are they jealous of the queen bee? Why are their attitudes important at all? “I don’t understand, Mommy,” she finally concludes. “Well, why don’t we read about the attitudes in the Bible, the book of Matthew?”

  So, Mommy pulls out her Bible and turns to Matthew 5. Mommy says that Jesus was preaching a sermon about a mountain, no…on a mountain, and he was telling a whole lot of people how to be blessed in life. Jael still doesn’t see how this has anything to do with bees, but she listens really hard.

  Jesus said that people will be blessed if they have certain attitudes. He said that people will gain Heaven if they are “poor in spirit”. Jesus said that those who “mourn” or hurt will be comforted. He said the “meek” will inherit the earth. Jesus said that people who hunger for righteousness will be filled and people who are merciful will get mercy themselves. He said the “pure in heart” will see God and that “peacemakers” will be called children of God. Then, Jesus said that people who suffer for Jesus will get a big reward in Heaven. Jael thinks that’s all awesome, but she still doesn’t know how the bees fit in. So, Mommy finishes the story and repeats that God wants Jael to learn these B-attitudes before they can go to Australia. Jael still feels confused about the bees and decides that she had better do a little research.

  The next week, Jael and her best friend Olivia are playing at the park down the street from their houses. They love swinging on the swings and hanging from the jungle gym. The slides also provide lots of fun for the two girls. Olivia’s mommy tells the girls that it is time to leave the park when she spots a cluster of bees around the swing set the girls are using. “Aw, Mom,” Olivia begins, “Can’t we stay a little longer? They’re nice bees.” Jael smiles and adds, “Yeah, they have good attitudes, and Mommy says that they will be blessed because of it.” Olivia and her mom both look confused, so Jael decides to explain about the bees’ attitudes that she has learned about.

  “See, bees live in these things called colonies and make honey and stuff. They live together and work together, and Jesus said that He would bless them for all their attitudes when he was preaching about a mountain.” Olivia laughs, “Jesus never talked about bees.” “Yes, He did! It’s in Matthew 5. We can go back to my house, and I’ll show you.” At this, Olivia’s mom laughs out loud but doesn’t say anything else as they stroll back toward Jael’s house.

  Jael and Olivia sit on the floor of Jael’s bedroom, pictures of bees scattered around them. “I didn’t know that bees were so cool or that God wanted us to be so much like them,” Olivia exclaims as Jael begins to explain what she has discovered. “So, Jesus says that we should be ‘poor in spirit’…that’s what the Bible says, but I didn’t know what that meant. I asked Daddy, and he said that Jesus wants us to treasure Heaven and God’s stuff instead of stuff we have here now like our teddy bears. Then, I found out that bees don’t actually own anything. They don’t even get birthday presents. They don’t collect dolls or dresses or anything. They just collect pollen to take back to their friends to live on. They only value the colony and the queen and what’s good for them. I totally think that bees are poor in spirit.” Olivia looks distressed, “Does that mean that we can’t have fun stuff like my new baseball glove that my mom gave me? I really like it.” “No,” Jael replies, “We can have neat toys, especially if your parents give it to you, but we are supposed to care more about God and stuff than our toys. Like if God asks you to give the new glove to a girl who doesn’t have one, you’re supposed to do it.” Olivia clearly feels relieved, and they spend the rest of the afternoon playing and talking about the bees’ attitudes that they like best.

  The next day is cold and rainy, so Jael’s mom says that she has to stay inside instead of going to park with Olivia again. The sad, whiny look on Jael’s face prompts her mom to remind Jael about having the right attitude. “What does Jesus say about people who are sad, Jael?” she asks. “Um, He says that they will be wrapped in a big comforter….” “What does that mean to be comforted, Jael?” “Um, it means He’ll make them feel better.” “Okay, so what is our attitude supposed to be?” “I think that we are supposed to stop and let Jesus wrap us in a blanket so we can feel better and not be sad.” Mommy smiles as Jael continues, “Mommy, did you know that when they are too cold bees stop flying. When it’s winter, they get together in the hive, really tight together, and keep each other warm. When they are cold, they just stop and let the heat from all the bees together make them feel all warm and better. I think that is what Jesus does when we feel sad. If we stop flying around and huddle next to Jesus, like the bees do, He will keep us warm. Is that right, Mommy?” She grins, “I think that’s a great way to look at it, Jael.”

  After the rain stops, Jael’s mom invites Olivia over for dinner and asks the girls to set the table for dinner. “I can do it, Mommy; I don’t need any help,” Jael proclaims confidently. Jael’s mom frowns and pauses for a second before asking, “Is that the way we’re supposed to act?” Jael looks over at Olivia and then looks sheepish when she answers, “No, ma’am, I forgot about being meek. Olivia, remember about that? Hundreds of worker bees work together in every colony because there is no way to finish all their jobs without each other. No worker is more important or more useful than any other. Each bee knows that he isn’t more special than his job. I forgot about that. Will you help me set the table, Olivia? I think that it will be even better if we work together.”

  Olivia jumps at the opportunity to help and asks about another bee attitude that she remembers. “Since we’re going to eat, isn’t there an attitude about eating? I remember one about being hungry and thirsty. I’m sure hungry right now. What was that attitude, Mrs. Brown?” Jael’s mom answers, “Well, Jesus tells us that those who hunger and thirst after righteousness will be blessed.” At the puzzled looks on their faces, she adds, “Remember that just like you grow by eating regular food, Jesus says that we will grow in Him if we take in more of His righteousness. If we want more of Him, then He will fill us and help us grow. What does that remind you of?” A light suddenly appears on Jael’s face, “Remember Olivia, we were talking about how worker bees make this jelly stuff for the baby bees. The babies eat the jelly stuff until they are old enough for honey. But, what if the baby didn’t want the jelly; they wouldn’t be filled up and grow big and strong. If we don’t want God’s food, then we won’t grow and be strong either. Is that right, Mommy?” “Well,” Olivia chimes in with a smirk before Mrs. Brown can respond, “I think that means we had better eat now because I’
m starving and don’t want to miss the chance to grow.”

  Jael soon gets another opportunity to share the bee attitudes the next week at school. She tells her classmates about the bees that she has studied and how most honey bees do not sting unless they are feeling scared. Sometimes they give off a scent that makes their enemies even more aggressive, but most honey bees do not simply sting first. They often show mercy to intruders by circling around and checking out the situation before they respond in fear. Jesus wants His people to show mercy. She tells the students that sometimes Jesus wants us to wait and not attack as well. Then, Jael tells them about how bees are born and raised to do certain jobs. They never go off on their own; they never seek their own will or plan or goal. They are always concerned only with doing their part in the colony’s well-being. They are not liars or cheaters, and they do not sit in their hives making plans on how to overthrow the queen and take her power. Jael thinks this is a lot like being “pure in heart” another attitude that Jesus says will be blessed. She explains to her classmates that Jesus wants people to work toward His goals and not try to steal or cheat or lie to get what they want for themselves. Most of the students love Jael’s stories, but there are a few students who laugh at her and tell her that her report is “dumb.” When Jael starts to feel tears fill her eyes, the teacher steps in and pulls those students out into the hallway.

  As the teacher corrects the mean students in the hallway, Jael remembers another important attitude. The teacher moved the mean people away from Jael to stop any more problems. When a new queen bee arrives, worker bees look for a new site for that queen to build her colony. They make sure that there is peace between colonies by not letting two queens fight over their workers and space in the hive. Just like the teacher brings peace back into the classroom, worker bees keep peace among the bees. Jesus likes that attitude as well. He wants people to be peacemakers. Jael tells her friends about the peacemaker bees as the teacher returns with the apologetic students, and all is well the rest of the day.

  Jael goes home that afternoon and tells her mom all about her report and the mean kids that laughed at her and called her dumb for comparing people to bees. Jael’s mom asks if the teacher liked the report and if she made a good grade. “Well, yeah, the teacher really liked it, and I think I got an A on the assignment.” “Then how,” Mommy asks, “can those mean kids ruin the rest of your day?” Jael contemplates that for a second and then, with a bright smile, “Well, they can’t, Mommy!” “What was the last blessing that Jesus talks about in Matthew 5?” “Jesus said that people who go through bad stuff for Him will be blessed. He said that even if people are mean or hurt you that there is a reward in Heaven for you.” Long pause. “I get it. Mommy, lots of people hate bees, huh?” Jael’s mom nods. “I know some girls who are really scared of bees, and they scream and run away if we ever see them on the playground. Bee stings can hurt, but they do so many good things too. They make honey and wax. They protect each other and build beautiful homes for themselves. They are actually really cool even though people are mean to them and try to kill them or run away from them. Is that what God’s talking about? We’re supposed to keep doing what He made us to do and keep living for Him even when people are afraid of us or mean to us or run away from us?” Jael’s mom wrapped her in a big hug, “That’s exactly it, Jael, Jesus says that we will be greatly rewarded in Heaven if we have to go through people who are not nice to us here on earth. Those bees sure know how to be blessed. How happy do you think bees are if they always have the right attitudes?” Jael’s smile was beaming as she returned her mom’s hug, “Probably as happy as I am knowing that Jesus made you my mom! Jesus really does bless us when we have all the bees’ attitudes, Mommy. I think that’s really cool, and I can’t wait to tell the kids in Australia about how the bees are blessed and we can be too!”

  ***

  A Note from the Author:

  Thank you so much for reading my short story! As a mother of a toddler, heading to the foreign field as a church planting missionary, I wanted my daughter to feel blessed by God's choice to make her an MK (missionary kid). I pray that this and the following series of stories will be a blessing to her as she gets older and pray that it will be a blessing to anyone else who may read it as well. Know that whatever position you are in, whatever jobs or obstacles are in your life, God has a plan and a reason and a way to use you for His glory! God Bless!