Outside of my office window is a large butterfly bush filled with big purple blossoms. Lately, it’s been filled with bumblebees darting from flower to flower. While drinking the nectar for nourishment, they gather pollen on their limbs and take it to the next flower.
Because plants are rooted in one place, they rely on pollinators to move the pollen. These little pollen gatherers are essential to flowers, budding trees, and all sorts of fruits and vegetables. It’s a reminder that creation has an intentional design, encouraging life.
As I watch the bumblebees drinking from the bush, I wonder how I scatter life around. Do I allow goodness to stick to me in such a way that I leave it wherever I go? For human beings this takes a bit more intentional work. In Philippians 4, Paul writes about the kinds of things with which we should fill our minds.
He talks about things that are good, trustworthy, lovely, excellent, and praiseworthy. Feed your brain with these things, he encourages us.
It makes me wonder if that’s not the key to pollinating the world with goodness and kindness. It’s far too easy to fall into scrolling on our smart phone through news feeds that are too rarely encouraging, or mindlessly sitting in front of the television.
To encourage growth in the world around us we must be conscious of what we carry with us, what “sticks” to us. And like bees we must stick our heads into that which feeds the spirit and nourishes the whole being.
What gives you life? What feeds your spirit? What nourishes you with abundance? Spending some time with those questions, I suspect, might be an important part of this work of the kingdom of God right here on Earth. My prayer is that we are all healthy, good pollinators in this world.
Grace and Peace,
Leigh
