Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1
As I unloaded the car, I heard what sounded like a motor running. The car was turned off. Usually all I heard was the gentle rustle of a few trees on our country hilltop.
I went in the house to check. No unusual sounds.
I returned to the front porch. It was my red Japanese maple by the front door filled with bees! What looked like hundreds of bees buzzed within the bright red new spring leaves.
It only lasted a few hours and my porch was once again peaceful. Later I learned that this swarming of the bees was natural and happened as a means of creating new bee colonies.
The queen honey bee becomes too warm in the current hive. So she leaves and looks for a new home. About half the bees, which could be hundreds to thousands, go with her. While most of the bees swarm, the scout bees go find a suitable location for the new hive.
Wow! The queen bee’s leadership is amazing. Have you ever decided to change your residence and hundreds of people followed? Probably not. But whether or not you know it, those around you are watching what you do. To some you are a role model.
It could be something simple such as picking up trash in a parking lot or in the hallway at church. Or it may be life-changing such as living out your faith in kindness to others or making a faith-based decision for your future.
Be intentional with your leadership. There may be a swarm of people watching you and you don’t even know it!
Lord, You are our ultimate leader. Help us to be good imitators. Amen.
Linda Gilden, an award-winning author of over a dozen books, speaker, and communicator and personality trainer, doesn’t particularly like bees. But she knows that God has given us many lessons in nature and doesn’t want to miss any of them (unless they have to do with snakes!) Visit her at www.lindagilden.com.