Bee Stings--YUCK!!!

So the other day I was sitting out by the pool while Sam worked on some business stuff. I had a rough Sunday and Monday so was taking a few moments to process life. Some of it is looking for a new church and dealing with the stuff in my own heart with some people here in NZ. I was finally able to get quiet and really just talk to God and process some of the things in my heart and mind. Some of that came at 3 in the morning and lasted until the alarm went off at 7:15 the night before! I think in the midst of all the change and transition the last couple of months my heart has just survived. When I am awake and going about my day my logical side kicks in knowing this whole journey is an adventure: the good, the bad and the ugly of it all. But at night, when my senses are down and I am truly quiet, my heart begins to feel what I haven't allowed it to. Sometimes that is a good thing. This week I think it was. I wasn't stressed or upset, I was just grieving. I am not exactly sure what I was grieving but an hour or so into being awake and feeling such a heaviness in my heart I realized the emotion was grief. I finally surrendered to the pain and allowed God to meet me in it. He was there the whole time and is with me now. It wasn't fun, necessarily, but it was good and healthy for me and quite special. There was much I need to grieve after Sunday morning, but much I didn't want to admit to needing to grieve. It's going to be different than I thought it would look like when we first decided to move back. But it's just that Different, not Bad.

While I sat there processing all this with God I actually saw how good God was and how choosing to trust Him and that He works everything together for His good brought peace and freedom to me. Ironically as I wrote that prayer to God telling Him that I trust him a bee started buzzing around me. They are everywhere here, along with plenty of wasps as well! I stayed still, but then I felt this awful pain in my arm. YEP! I had been stung!! I called for Sam and as he came out I was pulling out the stinger out of reaction. (evidently you are supposed to flick it out, but I had no idea and it just hurt!) Sam put ice on it right away and it felt better. I showed my mother in law later and she thought it was fine, but then the next morning it turned out not so fine...it was very red and very big and VERY VERY itchy. I guess it is supposed to itch but man it stunk!!

So now it is still red and still itchy, but I have started taking something his mom gave me and putting cream on it. His mom was a little concerned it got worse, and Sam was ready to use free health care now that we are back :) But I think we might wait a bit and see how it turns out. For now....here is what it looks like.



It doesn't look nearly as big as it really is...but trust me it is big and red and ITCHY!!!