My daughter was alarmed to find a very busy trail of ants taking over her bathroom yesterday; especially since she didn't have any food in there to draw their attention. Once she announced their presence, I immediately went in to gauge the situation and to find where they were coming from.
One thing about ants, they are so well organized, like an army. One behind the other they marched; the line started at the floor, looking like they were streaming in from inside the wall. They made their way up the wall in the bathroom on a piece of trim, wound their way up the blind slats and the blind pulls. A large part of the blind was covered in tiny black ants. It truly looked like an ant invasion; something for the Ant Busters to take care of.
My husband said he would try to get something the next day that wasn't too messy to take care of the problem. As we turned in last night, I was hoping I wouldn't have nightmares about ants invading our entire house. Little did we know that there might be an ant nest inside the fifty year old wall of our main bathroom.
Well, much to my surprise, today, when my husband went in to access the situation, there were just a few stragglers left to remind us of what went on last night. Certainly nothing to be alarmed over. I was amazed after seeing all those ants, there were just a few left, post war, I suppose.
Bill assumed that a larger ant army invaded their territory and decided to take over (meaning that there may still be ants in the wall, quiet as they may be), so the little guys had to run, or march, for cover, mass en route. Rather than be destroyed, they decided to find another base for their home business (finding the best eateries closest to 'home').
Small as ants are, in Proverbs 30:25 they are hailed as unusually wise and prudent. In chapter six verse six, we can all take a lesson from the ants, watching how they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter without having anyone tell them what to do. In other words, ants have a good work ethic!
But not only are they smart and work hard, they know when it's time to move on.
Sometimes we humans have a tendency to stay in the same place for too long, where we feel safe and comfortable. God often has better, more profitable places for us to be, and He may choose to bring a uncomfortable situation into our lives to move us forward.
But if we choose to follow His lead and trust His plan for us, we will find ourselves in a much better place, safer than the one we were in before. It may not have looked that way seeing it from a distance, or perhaps not seeing it at all, but God is with us. We can trust and believe in His provision.
That's what makes life with God so interesting and surprising. You can never know what kind of plot twist God will create in your life to keep you moving.
(Please note: I want to emphasize my condolences to all the families around the country who have lost a job, their business, or a home in this roiling economy; my heart goes out to you, and my prayers are with you as you deal with these unexpected losses and troubles. May God's mercy be upon you as you access your situation and make plans for your future.)
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