The Honey Lesson

I have this bad habit of buying a bottle of honey, using most of it, then buying another bottle "because it looks good." Up until yesterday I had four opened, partially-used bottles of honey in my pantry. Honey is amazing because it is the ONLY food (to my knowledge) that NEVER expires. Instead, when honey is exposed to varying temperatures (and over time in general), it crystallizes. When honey crystallizes, it's virtually impossible to get it out of the container. This is what had happened to three out of four bottles in my pantry. I decided it was time to finally de-crystallize the multiple bottles of honey in my pantry so I can USE them. 

I usually break out the honey and green tea when Micah gets sick - so I was able to use the rest of one bottle yesterday. For those who don't know - honey is an AMAZING all-natural sugar source and also aids in the relief of sore throats, coughing fits, and allergies. There are over 60 references to honey in the Bible. 

In order to de-crystallize honey, you have to dunk it in some hot water. One bottle of honey in particular needed REALLY hot water (the bottle on the far right). I boiled some water, then set it aside. I then put the bottle of firmly crystallized honey in the water. As I waited, I pondered - I think Christians can be like honey sometimes. God gives Christians the opportunity to be some of the most influential people in the world - making a difference for Gods kingdom. But - just like the honey - if we sit for too long in one place, we can get hardened and desensitized. We can get complacent. We get laxidazical. Sometimes God has to put us in some hot water to make us useful again - whether it be financial hardship, the loss of a loved one, or the loss of a job - God sometimes has to turn up the heat to restore our usefulness in Him once more. 

I LOVE how honey never expires - just like Gods love for us. He may have to "turn up the heat" in our lives sometimes - but all so we can be used for an even greater purpose than we can imagine. 

"My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste: So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off." Proverbs 24:13-14