We Can Learn from God’s Creation
There is nothing like welcoming my new husband to our “together” place of residence AND then him hearing my cry for help.
I came home to find an abundance of ants on my kitchen counter. I opened my pantry door, and there was a squadron of ants inside an open package of Ritz crackers – with another squadron headed their way! I quickly drowned the Ritz crackers AND ants in my garbage disposal.
Those ants weren’t coming in one-by-one. They were coming in platoons! No sooner did I wipe them out, right behind them was another troop. What does one do when they are happily married? In my case, I called Carl for help! He was on his way home and stopped to buy ant annihilators.
Since misery loves company, I posted into our FB Residents Group asking: “Anyone suffering from a deluge of ants infestation?” Sure enough – there were others who were in the same gnarly situation as us.
Apparently, this Texas heat caused the ants to search for food and water. That opened Ritz cracker package must have been the answer to their prayers! They didn’t march one-by-one but alerted their army and came in droves.
As annoying as they were and we sure don’t want them in our kitchens, we can learn from those determined and tenacious little insects. Proverbs 30:25 says, “Ants are of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer.”
1. Ants are driven by purpose — obviously our ants’ job description was to find food for their colony. That purpose was what they gave their time and energy to. All for one! One for all!
2. Ants work as a team to achieve something great. Teamwork makes the dream work!
3. Ants take time to rest and time to work. In summer they gather their food and in winter they hibernate.
4. Ants think big though they are one of the smallest and most insignificant insects on the planet, but the colonies they build and the contribution to their society is MAJOR!
5. Although ants are small – they can handle up to one hundred times their weight. We will never know our limits unless we push ourselves to them.
6. Ants serve one another. For us, being servers as Jesus modelled, should always ask: “What can I do for you?” The little things matter. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something!
7. Ants don’t quit. Their strength amazed us. They didn’t let any obstacle stand in their way. They didn’t stand there with their hands on their hips and look at each other in disbelief. They didn’t shrug their shoulders and give up on their goal. We watched them confront their obstacles and walk around it, over it, through it, and under it until they achieved their desired goal.
What an amazing God we have! He is intentional with His creation. I love how He uses props to teach us valuable lessons. He might have created ants for food for some of His creatures, but for you and I as well — to pay attention to their ways of living!
Maybe it’s time for us to “take a lesson from the ants” as King Solomon said in Proverbs 6:6 “Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise!”
By the way, it appears that the ants have left the building, thanks to the exterminators. Thanks be to God! May other ants find what they’re looking for and for those at our place, may they rest in peace!