ants. perspective.

proverbs 6:6 - go watch the ants, you lazy person.  watch what they do and be wise.

so i'm reading thru proverbs these days and was reminded of this verse this morning while i was watching the ants...the ants...

man, we have a lot of ants!!  for awhile we tried to fight it: ant traps, ant spray, squashing ants, wiping ants, sweeping ants, etc, etc.  but now i think we're more at a place of acceptance and for the most part they go about their work and leave us to ours.  usually our paths cross when they seem to fall from the sky and land on your arm or something.  and the last week, or two weeks ago, we had big trouble with flies!  so i would kill the fly and the ants would come running!  they seem to be so attracted to raw meat...yum! :P

its amazing tho, to sit and watch them for a bit.  they work together as a team sometimes to carry really big things (like 1/2 a fly) or on their own they will carry some chunk of something across a huge expanse!  where are they going, how long will it take them to get there, isn't that heavy, why don't they get discouraged and give up??  these questions go thru my mind...

just one of our many ants :)

this is where the perspective comes in...  am i like that ant?  no, i don't think so.  i feel like i give up so easily.  i feel as tho i only pray for blessings and comfort in life.  i feel as tho when life throws me a long journey or a heavy burden that i give up, that i only see myself, that i don't consider the whole "ant colony."  and the thing is i don't even have to go that journey alone or carry that burden by myself...God is always there!  i don't give him the opportunity to even show me that thru my weakness i am strong, that by putting him and others first i actually reap the most.

God is so good tho!  he gives us so many opportunities to come to him.  he doesn't give up on us.  he wants the best for us, and here's the thing that bothers our human perspective, sometimes that means it won't be easy.  that doesn't mean its bad, that doesn't mean that God is bad, it just means that we don't see the whole picture.  it means that we have to TRUST that God knows what he's doing.  it means we have to release control (another society fighting inclination).  it means we have to let God take the reins...in EVERYTHING!  i think i struggle with the everything bit the most.  i can give certain things to God, the big things really, that's good right?  but what about the little things?  what about conversations with people?  what about my actions towards my family?  what about daily living in a way that brings glory to God and not in a way that i'm "comfortable" with?

wow, guys this is long!  one final thought, i'm praying now for more opportunities to trust God.  (that makes me so scared!)  but i desperately want to be drawn closer to God, to know him so intimately that i couldn't imagine a moment without him.  will you pray it too?  do you want to hunger and thirst for a God that hungers and thirsts for you?

[reposted from Diana's Facebook page / March 24, 2012]