In the spring, I got my first bee hives. I’ve used the time learning about and caring for our bees over the last several months to pray for specific people and situations, as well as reviewing scripture. Because the extra time with God and the bees has been such a blessing to me personally, I made a vow to ‘gift’ the entire first batch of honey to family and friends…many of whom had been the focus of my prayers.
I spun my first frames last week and harvested the first honey. It was nerve-wracking. It was exciting. And it was time consuming.
From the moment I opened the hives and started making decisions about which frames to harvest to the moment I tightened the last lid on a jar, I discovered that I had to dedicate a substantial amount of time for the entire process.
The same deliberate dedication to time well spent also applies to the relationships in our lives. Whether it’s repairing, maintaining, or cultivating relationships within our families, church or school it takes time and deliberate actions to make those relationships impactful.
One of the most time-consuming relationships is the one where we are forging friendships or acquaintances with non-believers. These types of interactions are important because we literally pouring into people who may make decisions to follow Jesus based on their experiences with us. By no means am I saying that more time equals greater chances of them becoming a Christian. Instead what I’m saying is that the more deliberate the time we invest, the greater the chances are of them seeing Christ’s love through us.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NASB) stated, “Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you also are doing.”
Deliberate investment of time…to encourage one another and build each other up.
Seems easy enough if we’re willing to make the time to do the investing.
The harvesting of honey seems easy enough too…if I’m willing to take the time to care for the bees and go through the process of extracting the honey.
In this case, I was also able to deliberately speak to all the honey recipients about how the first batch was all gifts. It offered a chance to tell people that the bees were a quiet time with God opportunity…and it’s lead to more than one conversation about how to accept Christ as their personal Savior.
I want to encourage you this week to find someone in your life that you want to make some deliberate time for…and then invest.
~Emily
Iron Porch 