I have loved red clover since I was very young. I can remember going for rides in the car on Sunday afternoons during the spring to look at the red clover that was planted on the side of the road or in fields to hold the soil in place while the ground was resting. My daddy would always be on the lookout for areas of red clover so he could take me to see them.

My daughter lives in a new housing development that has areas that are not yet under construction. On a recent visit to her home I saw large areas of beautiful red clover that were planted to keep the ground from washing away. Red clover is so beautiful because it is so bright in color. I thought it would make a beautiful setting for a picture of my two granddaughters. What could possibly go wrong?

I spoke to my daughter about what she would want them to wear in the picture and we chose matching Easter Bunny tops and pink and white shorts. The clover was not very far away but we chose to drive so we could do this quickly. As we pulled up next to the field, the 4-year-old started squealing with excitement over all the butterflies she could see in the clover. They were so beautiful.

As we were getting the baby out of the car, I began to see that there were not only butterflies sipping the nectar from the clover but bees. We picked a spot for the picture and laid down a little blanket and placed the girls on the blanket hoping they would ignore the bees that were not too far away. I began snapping pictures but was only able to get 4 pictures before a bee flew by and the 4-year-old was done. The beauty of the clover was over for her. She no longer remembered the butterflies. The beautiful red of the clover and the green of the leaves were history as far as she was concerned. 

Beauty comes in many shapes, sizes, and colors. Beauty can be interrupted very easily. Sin, like bumblebees, can cause a beautiful situation to lack its luster or cause fear. Sometimes sin jumps in with no notice and everything is ruined. While from a distance the red clover could only be seen for its amazing beauty, on closer inspection we found bees. We must be watchful for these interruptions and recognize them for what they are. We should not let them ruin the beauty and joy that we are experiencing.  

“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.”  Luke 12:27

They surround me like bees. Psalm 118:12a

Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. Song of Solomon 2:12