It was a hot, humid Summer day a few years ago. I had just pulled into the local gas station to fill my tank. After pumping the gas I started to walk inside to pay. That is when I noticed them. Two elderly women where standing back from their car. There was a mixture of shock, fear, and dread on their faces. I looked and saw what they saw. Five yellow jackets had started to build a nest around their gas cap. My eyes widened. I shared the ladies’ fear.

Yellow jackets had never been friends of mine. Several times these nasty tempered wasps had attacked me while I was mowing my lawn giving me multiple stings each time I ran over their ground nests. They are the reason I never mow my lawn in shorts anymore. The worst time, however, happened when I was a young boy. A friend of mine and me were running and playing in my backyard. I must have stepped on one of their hidden nests again because before I knew it both of us were being chased and stung over and over by the yellow jackets while we ran away screaming. I ran to my Mom with tears in my eyes. She immediately ran a cold bath and put us both in it to ease the pain and itching before giving us medicine to fight all the poison in our little bodies from the stings.

Still, I knew I couldn’t let fear stop me now. I reached into my back pocket for a paper towel I had there, tore out the nest and stepped on it while the angry wasps buzzed around me. Both of the ladies thanked me and I said, “You’re welcome!” with a smile and a happy heart.

In this life you can’t let the fear of being stung either physically or emotionally keep you from doing what is right. God wants all of us to love each other and to change the world for the better. And the only way you can do this is one loving act, one kind word, and one shared smile at a time. Don’t let the yellow jackets in your life hold you back then. Live! Love! Do good today!