At the end of last summer, I had the unfortunate discovery that I am allergic to wasps.  I also had the recent discovery that I love the plant called “creeping Jenny” as ground cover.  I planted it in a spot where grass was struggling to grow and it has flourished.  For this reason, I wanted to replant some of the shoots in another bare area in my yard that is up against our house, and I wanted to do so before summer sunlight got too far behind me. 

Like most calendars in the fall, ours has been a full one.  With little time to spare between work and activities, I set a timer to do a quick replant.  I went to work pulling up shoots from the flourishing area and filled a bucket to carry to the replanting spot.  I took one step off the grass into the bed area next to the house and a pain shot through my ankle, just above my sock line.  The sound that erupted out of me was heard by my daughter inside the house, who came running to my aide.  Once inside the house, we saw a deep mark where the pain radiated from, but had no idea what caused it.  I thought I had seen a flying bug, but didn’t know for sure if that was the culprit.  I applied topical Benadryl cream to try to help with the mild swelling that was starting. 

Since it was time to leave for mountain bike practice, we geared up and headed out.  My foot swelled to the point that keeping my bike shoe on was not an option.  So, I sat out with it elevated and after practice, my family headed home.  After supper, my thoughtful husband, Brandon, went out to try to save as much as the shoots as he could, since they would not make it in a bucket for long.  I went out with him to watch at a distance for any insect assaults.  Sure enough, as soon as he stepped into the same area, several flying insects came from the ground area and he ran to evade them.  Unfortunately, he was stung twice, but fortunately, since he had on long pants and tall socks, the stings were not very potent. 

At this point, we decided to launch an aerial attack on the area from a window to identify just where these guys were coming from.  We got a pump sprayer with insect killer to try to flush them out.  It worked!  After several sprays in the area, we finally saw movement.  It was wasps coming from the downspout.  It hadn’t rained in so long that they built their nest in the downspout, right near where I was planting. 

Now that the source was identified, we finally sat down after a long day of work, practice and wasp nest identification.  While we were watching a show on TV, my hands and feet started itching badly.  This sensation spread and hives started to appear all over.  I quickly took 2 Benadryl tablets in an effort to stave off anymore.  When it didn’t stop and they got close to my mouth, I figured I was about to be in trouble and quickly took 2 additional Benadryl tablets, which gratefully brought some relief.  I continued to itch all night and couldn’t sleep well, even with all the Benadryl; it was the worst reaction I’ve ever had to an insect sting.  

Our twins had a well visit the next morning, and the pediatrician cautioned me that with a reaction like that, I should see my doctor and would probably need an EPI pen.  She was right; my doctor told me that if swelling and hives get close to my mouth again, to not wait to administer the EPI dose.  

I had the cause and the remedy, but now I still needed to tackle the project that brought all this on.  So, several days later, after the swelling went down and I could get a proper shoe on, I went outside to pull more creeping Jenny from the flourishing area (thankfully there was still plenty to pull from), placed it in a bucket, and went to the planting area with shovel in hand.  Only this time, my feet became like cinder blocks and I could not move, budge, or even take myself one step into the area where the sting happened.  It was like a mental block that I could not overcome.  I gave myself a great mental prep talk.  Nothing.  I used the shovel to disturb the area to make sure there were no more wasps.  Still nothing.  My feet would not move no matter how much my brain told them too.  

My husband, Brandon, seeing my statue-like-state, came over and asked me if I wanted him to go first.  Yep, that was exactly what I needed.  Someone to go ahead of me, to step first into the area, to make a path for my feet to follow, a focal point to keep my eyes on, instead of the fear gripping me in place.  He stepped into the area, no flying insects appeared, and so I was good to go.  I stepped behind him, following his footsteps and away I went replanting all the Creeping Jenny I pulled up.  

But, what about those times in life when it is not possible for someone to walk my path for me?  What about when it’s physically impossible for someone to do so?  What if it is a situation on a path only I can tread?  Then what?  This is when I must put my faith in God into action.  In these moments, there are two verses that come to mind.  The first is:

“It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” 

Deuteronomy 31:8

The second is:

“And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.”  

Isaiah 30: 21

When I place my faith in God and recall these words, I am strengthened knowing that if I ask, seeking his will for my life, He will provide a path for me, eliminating any fear or doubt.  When I am attuned to his voice by reading my Bible often, I can know with confidence when a path in life is paved for me to trod.  

Brandon modeled for me what it means for the Lord to go before me.  Once he stepped into the area before me, I could do the same with confidence, knowing there was no longer a wasp nest waiting to swarm and attack.  When I wait upon the Lord and seek the Lord’s guidance for my life, I can step into those areas with the same confidence knowing that God has prepared that particular path for my life.  This means that even if there are “wasp stings” that happen along the way, I can know with confidence that those would be things the Lord is using to teach me whatever it is that he would have me learn, or take away, from a particular situation.  

If you have placed your trust in Jesus, know that He goes before you, that He will be with you, never leaving you or forsaking you, and you do not need to fear or be dismayed.  This is great news that brings great joy!