Nose to Nose With a Yellow Jacket---Taking Courage

By Vickie G. Paver

Last year in the fall, we were battling ladybugs. I didn’t think it could get any worse! They were everywhere in the house. Each day I would vacuum, smash, scoop up, pick up and step on ladybugs. I wanted to cry about the whole thing as we battled this on a daily basis. Well, let me tell you…it can be worse and did get worse. This fall we are battling yellow jackets. We are not alone, as many other people throughout the area are also battling them. However, coming nose to nose with one on your pillow can make a person feel like this is the last straw!

Let me fill you in on the rest of the story. It was a cold night. I climbed into my flannels and snuggled under our comfy comforter, and burrowed my head down into the flannel covered feather pillow---all set for a wonderful snooze. Right? Wrong! What I got instead is a strange sensation against my nose. I reached up to the tip of my nose and came in contact with something hairy and wiggly! I immediately moved my hand, jumped up and turned on the light. On my pillow, in all his majestic magnificence, lay a yellow jacket with his head where my nose was! The audacity! However, I was slightly grateful that he was feeling sluggish because of the cold evening and that his stinger hadn’t been at my nose!

This was the last straw in my view of things! I told my husband I could not take it any more---it was too much! I kept repeating that I could not take it, as if I expected my husband to come up with some instant late night answer! All I kept thinking about was that old song sung by Burl Ives called, "There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly." Remember it? Well I do and thought it would be quite an ordeal to swallow a yellow jacket. Although, my 6^th grade granddaughter says that people swallow all kinds of insects at night when they are sleeping. She got this debatable or maybe not debatable fact from school; from a well-intentioned teacher I’m sure. A fact I really did not need to know!

Together my patient husband and I decided that we would wait for winter to settle in before taking down the ceiling of the patio, so we could get to the bees nests, without getting stung. In winter the queen lives on and so do the eggs she lays. We felt spaying with poison would just make the new hives of yellow jackets immune. Besides, we have allergies, grandchildren, plants and pets. So spraying poison isn’t really an option. Once we get the nests out we can kill the queen and others in hive with soapy water.

The "not taking it any more," was really more than the yellow jackets. It was a combination of health issues and other trials in our life. The yellow jackets seemed to take my stress level over the top. I lost my courage in the face of certain trials, yet I have so much to be thankful for, in spite of the trials. I needed to find the strength to go on. What I began to realize was that part of taking courage also meant making a decision to take action---in the case of the yellow jackets ordeal anyway. So the plan helped. It was a small step and from that step I once again found courage.

What is courage? According to the Random House Webster’s College Dictionary, courage means the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc. without fear; bravery.

So I guess now that we know the definition the real question is "How do we get courage?"

1) We take courage. Psalm 31: 24 "Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the LORD." (NKJV) According to Matthew Henry’s Commentary "Be of good courage" means have a heart on it---"trust" and then God will strengthen our hearts. In other words sticking it out in spite of trials, resilience in the face of hardship and fear. God will then in turn strengthen us.

2) Look to the Rock. Isaiah51: 1 The Faithful Are Called to Courage "Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, you who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug. (NKJV) from Bible Gateway.

Jesus is referred to as the Rock because He is dependable, reliable and trustworthy. When everything else changes, God doesn’t change. He remains the same solid person. A person on whom we can depend.

3) Courage Through encouragement. Isaiah 41: 6 "Everyone helped his neighbor, and said to his brother, "Be of good courage!"

Acts 28: 14, 15; 14."Where we found brethren, and were invited to stay with them seven days. And so we went toward Rome. 15. And from there, when the brethren heard about us, they came to meet us as far as Appii Forum and Three Inns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.

When we get encouragement by being with other Christians or by a word of encouragement from them or because another prays for us---it helps us to take courage. Knowing that others go through the same types of trials we go through helps us to know that we can make it.

Whatever you are going through---take courage. God Bless You Everyone.