Ana’s garden is flourishing this year, with the warm temperatures and unexpected rain we’ve received. The tomato plants are heavy with fruit and we can’t eat the cucumbers fast enough. Huge sunflowers add an extra splash of color to an already beautiful scene. It’s a wonderful time of year!
Of course, none of this would exist if it weren’t for the help of some tiny creatures we seldom think of. Honey bees, and similar pollinators, make all the beautiful flowers we see and the crops we harvest possible. If it weren’t for them, Ana’s garden would be just a barren plot of land.
Today is National Honey Bee Awareness Day, a day set aside to remind us of these little creatures who make such a big difference in all of our lives. Not only do honey bees help our crops grow by pollinating them, but they also provide us with a sweet treat – delicious honey!
The wonderful thing about honey is it can do far more than satisfy your sweet tooth. It also provides some wonderful health benefits. For example:
- Honey can provide a great energy boost after exercise.
- It contains flavonoids, antioxidants which decrease the risk of heart disease and cancer.
- It makes a great cough suppressant.
- Honey can be used to treat ulcers and other GI problems.
- Applied topically, honey can help heal burns and other wounds
Proverbs 16:24 tells us, “Kind words are like honey – sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.” Modern science has proven this true. Kind words and simple acts of kindness can improve our moods, slow the aging process by reducing inflammation in the system, and even lower our blood pressure.
The truly wonderful thing about kind words is they tend to spread, touching life after life, much like the honey bees flitting from flower to flower in Ana’s garden. Kind words make our world a little more beautiful place to live.
So, this Sabbath, on National Honey Bee Awareness Day, follow the honey bee’s example. Drop a kind word here and there and spread a little sweetness wherever you go. You’ll be amazed how good it makes you feel!
Happy Sabbath!