Honey in my Tea

Proverbs 25 begins a section of Solomonic proverbs that were collected by the men of King Hezekiah - he ruled 12 generations after the Son of David.

Two proverbs that stuck out to me had to do with honey.

I like honey.

Honey is good in tea. It is really good on my Mum's homemade biscuits - especially freshly baked, warm biscuits with a bit of butter on them and then a good dose of honey smeared on top...ahh...yes. Honey is also good on toast with some cinnamon sprinkled on top. Growing up we ate lots of honey on muffins - we ate lots of homemade muffins. I'd eat them the same way I ate my biscuits - slowly!

And for all you honey-lovers out there, you know what it is like when you've had too much honey: ugh!

The other day I put too much honey in my tea and I couldn't finish it, too much...blah.

That recent experience is what made these two honey proverbs stick to me:
"If you find honey, eat just enough - too much of it and you will vomit.
Seldom set foot in your neighbors house - too much of you and you will be hated."

The other honey proverb:
"It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it honorable to search out matters that are too deep."

The first proverb was interesting, but I don't go to the houses of other people very much, so I guess that is why I am so well liked. But the second honey proverb was more interesting to me...I would describe myself as someone who has been maybe searching out matters that are too deep. Not that I'm particularly skilled at it, just stubborn about it.

The death of my two brothers resulted in many things, but one of them being a seeking of understanding and better questions to ask about life. There has been a deeply earnest searching that has charactized my life for many, many years. Some of it has been fruitful. But there have been times when it has yielded experiences of "too much honey".

There's nothing wrong with searching out the deep things, but I've got to come back to the surface and live life - and eat and drink just enough honey in my tea and and on my muffins.