Finding Strength in the Sting: Homesteading, Heartbreak, and God’s Greater Plan

Homesteading isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s a calling that demands grit, resilience, and an unwavering spirit. Yesterday, our homestead faced one of its toughest trials yet—a reminder that even with the purest intentions and the hardest work, nature sometimes has a different plan.

We poured our hearts and souls into our birds, nurturing them with care and dedication.

Watching them fall victim to the chaos of a queenless hive was a deep and painful blow. We lost precious lives, and the sting of that loss runs deeper than any bee sting. It’s a stark reminder of the fragility of life and the unpredictable challenges that come with living so closely to nature.

The heart of our bee colony—our queen—went missing after we harvested honey supers. For those unfamiliar with beekeeping, the queen is everything. She is the mother of the hive, laying all the eggs and producing the pheromones that maintain order, calm, and purpose within the colony. Without her, the hive descends into panic.

We’ve experienced queenless hives before, but nothing prepared us for the sheer chaos that ensued. The bees became disoriented, highly defensive, and utterly unpredictable. They swarmed our animal yard, stinging anything in their path. It was heartbreaking to witness the havoc: our beloved birds perished, our goats were injured, and even the crew working on our house had to halt their efforts. The air was thick with the hum of distress and the palpable feeling of loss.

Under the cloak of darkness—the safest time to handle such a volatile situation—we carefully locked down all our hives. We relocated them to a quieter area of our property. They will remain closed in for a few days, allowing them to calm and reorient before being released into their new bee yard.

Beekeeping, like all aspects of animal husbandry, is a profound teacher. It’s full of lessons, some incredibly hard. It teaches us that even with the most diligent care and the best intentions, things can shift in an instant. A missing queen, an unexpected change in weather, or an unseen stressor can transform a thriving colony into turmoil. This isn’t just true for bees; it’s true for life itself.

In moments like these, when our hearts ache from loss and our spirits feel weary, we cling to our faith. We believe that God’s plan is greater than our own, even when we cannot understand the path He lays before us. As it says in Jeremiah 29:11:“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”This scripture reminds us that even in the midst of adversity, a divine purpose is at play—a promise of hope beyond the present struggle.

Although we grieve the birds we lost, and the sting of this experience is still fresh, we know that we will emerge stronger. We will rebuild, we will requeen, and we will move forward. Every setback on the homestead, every challenge we overcome, teaches us invaluable lessons about balance, patience, and a profound respect for creation. Strength isn’t just about avoiding falls, but about rising again—wiser and more resilient, with our faith as our anchor.

Here’s to finding strength in the sting, and to trusting in a plan greater than our own.