#2 Be The Bee

St. Paisios of Mount Athos wrote:

"Some people tell me that they are scandalized because they see many things wrong in the Church. I tell them that if you ask a fly, 'Are there any flowers in this area?' it will say, 'I don’t know about flowers, but over there in that heap of rubbish you can find all the filth you want.' And it will go on to list all the unclean things it has been to. Now, if you ask a honeybee, 'Have you seen any unclean things in this area?' it will reply, 'Unclean things? No, I have not seen any; the place here is full of the most fragrant flowers.' And it will go on to name all the flowers of the garden or the meadow. You see, the fly only knows where the unclean things are, while the honeybee knows where the beautiful iris or hyacinth is."

Yes, we can find horrible things in this world. But there is so much good to see. I am not saying we should not trouble ourselves with the brokenness and pain of this world. I work in healthcare and have made a life tending to the pain and suffering of people in need. But in our daily lives, we can either focus on all the ugliness or we can choose to see the beauty in people and give a smile instead of a scowl.

Let's Be the Bee!