“And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” Mark 4:39-40 ESV
Note: I posted this a few weeks ago, but somehow, it ended up trashed and no longer on the site. I am reposting again.
For many reasons, ants have always fascinated me. Here, you have the tiniest insect, which appears small and fragile, yet it has been said that ants can lift 20 -50 times their weight. To us, that still wouldn’t be much weight, but to the ant, I guess lifting that much is quite an undertaking. I read that the ant’s ability to do this would be equivalent to a second grader being able to lift a car! Knowing that fact helps me see this whole scenario with a better perspective.
Within the colony, each ant has a specific task to perform. Some are foragers, while others maintain the nest, reproduce, and care for the young. Of course, some have the duty of taking care of the Queen. Each ant knows its specific duty and goes about it vigorously. Whatever their assignment, the colony’s overall organization is impressive to me.
Recently, I discovered a giant ant hill in our yard. This colossal mound was close to the street and visible for all to see. In the past, the Homeowners Association sent a courtesy notice telling us to get rid of a particular ant hill or face a $25 fine. Not wanting to fork over the money unnecessarily, I took it upon myself to eliminate this newfound ant colony. My weapons of choice were a shovel and a bag of granules. I first needed to expose the ants by removing the top of the mound. As I raked the shovel across it, there was an immediate reaction. What seemed like millions of ants instantly began running for their lives. It was a sight to see! I’m sorry for their turmoil; I didn’t want to go up against the HOA! Folks never win in those situations. We have neighborhood rules, and we must follow them.
Friends, sometimes we are hit with sudden disruptions as it was with the ants. I gave them no warning. All too often, we are rocking along in our particular season of life; then, out of the blue, we are struck by the unexpected. Our first instinct is to become fearful or try to fix the situation alone. We may run around like disturbed ant colony residents when their security has been threatened. This trauma now makes us vulnerable, and life as we know it has been forever changed. From our vantage point, these sudden disruptions might throw us into a frenzy if we aren’t careful. When my daughter was diagnosed with terminal cancer, I felt a sucker punch like I had never known before. I’m not focusing on that season of my life in this article, but that was the first thing that came to mind while writing these thoughts. That’s only one example, but it’s the most traumatic season of life I have ever experienced or probably ever will. Therefore, it is highly memorable.
Since we live in an imperfect world, at one time or another, everyone will have their lives disrupted by unwelcome news or events. When life and circumstances hit hard, what do we do? Where can we go? How do we find peace and dwell safely during the storms that disrupt us? From experience, I have found that only through faith in Jesus Christ can we find peace during the challenges that come into our lives. Through trusting God’s Word and the promises found therein, we will come out on the other side stronger in our faith than ever before. During these times, it is His way to show us things we’ve never seen before, spiritually speaking–things we wouldn’t see were we not inside the storm. Through our faith, we can overcome fear by grasping what God wants to teach us during each season of life. He will help us work around the challenging seasons and continue to use us for His glory because of them.
I have always heard that ants move somewhere else when you destroy an ant hill. I don’t know if that’s true, but it’s a good analogy for these closing thoughts. During life’s unexpected disruptions, may we not be sidelined with fear or anxiety but rather have the confidence that through our faith in Jesus Christ, we will be determined to continue moving to the next place and the next thing. With His help, we will be overcomers. We have the assurance that we will never walk alone, for He is always with us. That promise alone is more than enough to get us through.
Just as the ant diligently stores food for the winter, let us also store up our faith and trust in God. This reservoir will sustain us during times of need and throughout our lifetime.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we give You honor and glory, for You alone are our source of abundant life and strength. Thank You for helping us move to the next place or thing when our lives are disrupted and, at times, we don’t know which way to go. You are our steady compass throughout each season of life, and we thank You for always being with us. Help us to honor You in all ways, all the days of our life. I pray this in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
