“That’s it. I have to get out of the house.” Rhonda stood and pushed away from her computer desk. “I’m spending way too much time scrolling through the computer.”

Scout lifted his head and studied her.

“Yes, let’s go for a walk.”

At that, Scout scrambled to his feet, his tail wagging. He dashed to the door.

“Hold on, I don’t move as fast as I used to.” Rhonda slid on a light jacket and attached Scout’s leash. The bright sunshine lifted her spirits as they strolled down the street, reminding Rhonda she hadn’t spent much time in prayer lately. She started a silent conversation with God.

“Lord, I need a little guidance here. I’m not sure what to do at this stage of my life. I’m not young anymore, and can’t keep up with what I used to do. I see my neighbors with their jobs, taking care of their young children, and working in their yards. I can’t do any of that any longer. Quite frankly, I don’t feel useful anymore. Do you still care? I need some kind of sign.”

As Rhonda continued down the block, a bright yellow and black car caught her attention. The back bumper was covered with stickers. “No Bees, No Food, No Kidding,” “Save the Bees – They Save Us,” and “If you Like Food, Thank a Bee.” They all had the address of a local apiary written in small print underneath.

Inspiration struck. “I’m not sure why, Scout, but I think God wants me to go visit the apiary. What do you think?”

Scout stared at Rhonda, blinked, and continued sniffing around a mailbox.

Thirty minutes later, Rhonda was back at her computer, but this time with a purpose in mind. Sure enough, the local apiary gave tours to the public, and they were open now. She bought a ticket for the next tour and hopped in the car.

“OK, God. I’m not sure what you’re doing here, but my mind is open to what you want to tell me.”

As she entered the apiary, she was given a beekeeper’s suit to wear, took a tour of the grounds, and watched as the beekeeper opened the hive. But it was the stories of the bees that spoke to her.

The beekeeper kept up a continual narration. “Most of the hive is made up of summer worker bees right now. They only live for about six weeks, but they have critically important jobs to do. The most interesting thing about them is that their jobs change throughout their short lives. For the first few days of their lives, they clean the hive. Next, they feed the larvae and care for them. For about a week, they convert nectar into honey. For the next week, they produce wax and build and repair honeycomb. Next, they guard the hive, and finally, for the final few weeks of their lives, they collect nectar and pollen and bring it back to the hive. It’s truly a beautiful system. They don’t compete for roles or resent the other jobs. They simply do what they’re designed to do throughout their lives.”

Rhonda stared at the beekeeper. Earlier that day, she’d been resenting her neighbors, feeling unworthy because she could no longer keep up with that lifestyle. But when she was their age, that was her role. But what was God’s role for her at this age? She couldn’t do much. She tuned back in to the beekeeper as a young boy asked a question.

“All the signs around here say we should thank bees for food. But they only make honey, right?”

The beekeeper slid the frame covered in bees back into the hive. “That’s true. The only food the bees make is honey. But bees play a critical role in many other foods. They move pollen from one plant to another as they collect nectar. This pollen helps grow fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. About a third of all our crops depend on bees.”

The little boy’s eyes widened. “Wow, that’s cool.”

The beekeeper chuckled. “And on top of all that, they make honey for us, too.”

A woman raised her hand. “How much honey does a bee make?”

The beekeeper led the group to another part of the grounds as he spoke. “One bee only makes about a 1/12th teaspoon of honey in their life. That’s just one tiny droplet. It might not seem like much, but when all the bees work together, they make enough to sweeten your cereal or your tea.”

Rhonda stared at the beekeeper. Once again, God was teaching her a lesson. She didn’t need to do much. But her small part, along with others, could do mighty things.

1 Corinthians 12:12-18

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.

God, You give us different roles at the various stages of our lives, and You give different roles to everyone. Help us not to compare ourselves to others or to how we used to be. Help us embrace the life You have for us now. Show us how You want us to use our gifts, Lord. And please help us remember, our tiny droplet of “honey” is enough. Thank You for reminding us how valuable we are when we have trouble seeing it for ourselves. Thank You for Your faithfulness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.