Beeswax Candles

Psalm 55:6,16 – And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away and be at rest. As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. (KJV)

For the past several years, beeswax candle-making has been all the rage. The sheets come in honeycomb, corrugated or flat design, and in a wide array of colours from subtle, soft pastels to rich full hues. They burn slowly, with few drips.

A sleek, slender candle or a fancy, fluted-edged one can be made in a matter of minutes; a delicate flower candle with petals, within an hour. For most of these candles, all one requires is a cutting board, a ruler, a razor-sharp knife, the wax, wick and a hair dryer.

The simplest candle is made by merely warming the wax with the hair dryer, laying the wick width-wise on the wax, leaving a bit longer length at one end, gently rolling the wax around the wick and continuing to roll until you get to the end of the wax. The candles make wonderful gifts for any occasion, and because they can be made quickly, are an excellent little something to spring on someone who needs a "pick-me-up".

If however, the candle is to be burned from both ends, that changes everything and presents a difficulty. First of all, the wick must extend over both ends of the wax before rolling. A completely different candle holder must be designed to hold the candle in the middle while both ends are burning, with some sort of vessel placed under each end to catch the wax which would drip. That isn't their intended use.

Neither is it ours, but sometimes we continue to take on jobs which, individually, can easily be done, but which slowly add up until, to get them done, we're "burning the candle at both ends". We wish we could just fly off somewhere, escape and rest. Something has to give, but the choice is difficult — for us. When given to the Lord, the answer is made clear. He will show us which things to give up, which things to turn over to someone else, rather than to continue until we're completely burned out, leaving others to catch the residue we've left behind.

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, teach us to know our limits, to accept only what we know we can handle. Help us to see that there is no dishonour or disgrace in saying no. Let us see that we are not measured by how much we do, and by being yes-men, but by doing what we do, well. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.