Adage #4: You can catch more bees with honey, but you need newspaper to get a wasp.

I am terrified of bees. I have never been stung by one and I will avoid this event from occurring in my life at all costs. I am that crazy person who flails all over the place while trying to get away from this winged creature with a stinger (which is a privilege I don’t think they should have). I flinch at any buzzing sound that could possibly be a bee, I get up from any table I’m sitting at outside and run inside, I squeal and sometimes I duck my head and just hope it will go away.

The other morning I woke up and was going through my usual morning routine. As I was walking into my bathroom, I noticed a shadow on my shower curtain. It slowly dawned on me that this was a wasp. This was a big problem, how was I going to shower before work? I thought maybe I could grab my shampoo and body wash and take my shower in the downstairs bathroom. But then I would still have to move the shower curtain to obtain these items and surely the wasp would not like to be disturbed and he would come after me. I thought maybe I could try and get rid of him, but I would probably miss and then he would get mad at me and sting me in the eyeball multiple times, blinding me forever.

In every scenario I could come up with, I ended up getting stung. I thought that would be a terrible way to start the day, so I just didn’t shower.

I came home later on in hopes that the insect had found his way out. Nope, he sure hadn’t. “This is it,” I thought, “I’m never going to be able to shower again.” After a few minutes of deliberation, I knew I had to get rid of him because it wouldn’t take long for people to notice a smell when I walked past them. So I got someone else to get rid of the wasp for me (thanks Serena).

I’ve never been much of a risk taker. It’s okay to be cautious, it’s kept me alive so far, so that’s a positive. But what am I limiting myself from doing by being so afraid to take a risk? I was prepared to let that wasp take over my bathroom and start a colony if he wanted to because I was too afraid of him. What else in my life have I given up on because it seemed impossible to accomplish?

Philippians 4:13 “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”