Team Work

Each Spring when I watch the Peonies get ready to bloom I am reminded of the team work involved for this flower to even open. A Peony will not open if the ants do not come along and "chew" sections of the bud first. They would stay tightly closed. The plant can do only so much until the ants arrive. Look closely at the above pictures and you will see all the ants busy chewing. The ants have come each year to do their work. After their work is done, I really don't see much of them after that. I am sure they stay in the flowerbed, but I don't see them working on the other flowers. The Peony needs the ant as much as the ant needs the Peony. It takes teamwork.

This got me thinking about all the other insects that God uses to pollinate His plants and trees. Without the honeybee, bumblebee, butterflies, etc. we would be without.  Less apples on the trees, less delicious peaches, etc.  It takes teamwork. They come and land on the plants and get food, as they are eating, they brush the pollen and fly off to another plant. This in turn is pollination in simple terms. I will not re-educate you on what you already learned in school, but it takes insects for this to happen. Yes, the wind can blow seeds, but there is a special purpose the insects have. I have taken many pictures over the past summers that show this happening. I will include them here today for your enjoyment.

However, before I post the pictures, I want to remind you that God knows we need teammates to handle life. We think we can go through life alone, with our own thoughts and own strength, but eventually we will run into trouble. Sometimes we are the teammate doing all the work, like the bees. The plant just stays were it is. Sometimes we are the plant and are not able to do what needs to be done, so God sends us teammates. It may be your neighbor, co-worker, Pastor, close friend, spouse or family member. There are also times in life where we need Someone bigger and stronger than all those combined, and that is our loving, gracious, forgiving Heavenly Father. He gives us the best teammates ever, in the Trinity. The Father, The Son and Holy Spirit.  We can't do it on our own. What are you doing right now? Are you a teammate to someone? Are you getting burned out and frustrated? Do you feel overwhelmed with what lays ahead?  Remember, we can't do it on our own strength. As summer is approaching and you see all the butterflies and bees working hard with the plants, remember they are teammates for a greater purpose and so are you. You may be asking yourself, why you need to do this or that right now. Simply put: you are a teammate for a greater purpose and God has called you for this role right now.