Learning From Past Mistakes

I don’t know if you remember the blog called "Bee Careful, Don't Believe Everything You See" or not but (if not you can click here) it was the one about the bumble bee that Robert (our 5 year old) caught and carried around for several hours like it was a pet. But then after a couple of hours it stung him. He thought all bees were like the cartoon bees that were happy and friendly. Well, he obviously didn’t learn his lesson because this morning as I was laying in bed he came bursting into my bedroom with the largest bee I’ve ever seen in his hand. Look at the pic... it was half the size of his hand (the card it’s on is the size of a regulation playing card)! He had been out in the jungle early in the morning and found it and decided to bring it in and show Mom and Dad. Really? What did he not understand about insects with stingers? Does he need to get stung again before he learns? Well the bee didn’t sting him so, to teach him a lesson, I stuck his hand on the scalding hot stove so he would learn... lol! I’m just joking. I didn’t stick his hand on the stove! But the bee really didn’t sting him either. But just because the bee didn’t sting him this time doesn’t mean it’s ok to catch and hang-out with large insects with stingers. So, I talked to him and tried to explain to him again about bees and how they don’t like being caught by little boys and how they sting as a defense mechanism. Hopefully he’ll get it... but probably not.

But it’s the same with us too. We usually don’t learn after the first time either. There have been times when good things came up (even ministry opportunities) and even though I had a “check” deep down inside I went ahead and did what seemed good, but in the midst of doing something good, I missed out on what was best. And as a result had to go through difficulties that I could have totally avoided. I can’t be real specific but I’m going through this right now. There are different opportunities we’ve been given but for whatever reason I don’t feel like we’re suppose to take them. It’s something inside (I know it’s the Spirit of God, too) that just won’t release us to do it. I don’t know if it’s a timing thing or something we’re suppose to avoid all together but one thing I do know... I don’t want to get stung!” So the Dunn family’s not moving forward until God says, “now.” It actually feels good to wait when you don’t want to too. If you know me, you know I’m Mr. Get’r done man and waiting is definitely not my middle name. But I’ve been “stung” so many times that I’ve learned my lesson I guess. How bout you? Are you the kind of person that learns by just being told once? Or do you have to get stung over and over before it sinks in? Either way it pays to wait on God. He promised us in John- Chapters 14 and 16 that the Holy Spirit would stay with us forever and that He would lead us, guide us, direct us, show us things to come... and the list goes on and on, so we just have to be willing to listen. Not that we’ll never get “stung” but we can definitely avoid the unnecessary “stinging” because we weren’t listening to the voice of the Spirit. Please pray for us. We don’t want to do something that’s “good” and miss what’s “best.”

Waiting,

Jim