Ant Lessons

Proverbs 6:6(MSG)
You lazy fool, look at an ant.  Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two.

I knew exactly where to go.  My husband was busy doing something in the other room, so I quietly slipped out the front door.  I went to precisely the spot that I had noticed them yesterday.  I peered into the corner and began to carefully track their path.  It was easy at first, cuz the line was visible from my vantage point.  But, as they moved into the grass, it became a wee bit trickier to maintain the lead I had on them. 

I persevered though....following them through blades of grass and over miniature stick bridges that they had made from the twigs that had fallen on the ground.  Just when I was sure that I had found their castle, they would surprise me and appear on the other side continuing their journey to their final destination.  I carefully tip-toed beside their trail and had just found their connecting location to a swift incline up the tree.  I stared up into the branches, standing on my tippy toes, looking higher and higher into the tree trying to figure out where they had gone.....when all of a sudden a loud deep voice came booming from across the yard, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" 

It was my sweet husband.  I guess he wasn't as busy as I thought he was, cuz he came out and had been watching me for a time.  Seems that I might have looked a little bit "unstable" to the casual onlooker as I followed my creature trails.  Oops.....might have carried this verse a little too far.......chuckle...

Have you ever watched an ant....for real?  Well, that's what I was doing out in the front yard.  Interesting creatures.  Here is what I observed.  They are very organized.  There is a lot of them!  They make straight lines following each other to a certain place and then turn around to head back the other way.  They come back the same way they go out....in fact sometimes they run into each other and have to veer off course.  Some of them are carrying food in very large pieces.  Here is a picture of them:

So....here is what they taught me after observing them today: 

First, we should stick together; we're a team.

Second, I  learned we should move over and agree to share the road when we are on a     collision course with someone.  You can see it in the picture.  See where there are two ants side by side?  They are yielding to one another.

Third, we have to learn to follow our leaders....although, I wasn't sure which ones were leading..so, I guess I could learn that a good leader needs to stand apart from the pack. 

Fourth, I observed that they all worked.  Some were going slower than others, but they were all working.  Most of them were carrying something...small pieces and big pieces of food?  Lesson learned...work for your food.

Fifth,  I found one I thought was dead, but when I gently touched it, it jumped up and marched on!  I guess it was resting~another thing to learn....when you're tired.....lay down and take a nap! 

There you have it....what I learned from the ant today....

Lord, I have so much to learn about life and serving You.  Please continue to show me Your patience and favor as I discover Your path.  Asking for comfort tonight for those who have suffered such great loss in the tornadoes and flooding.  Amen

    

 

The Trapper

Proverbs 6:5 (MSG)
Run like a deer from the hunter, fly like a bird from the trapper!

They parked their cars and began filing in.  Some of them were quick and sure footed and others were slow and steady.  A few had canes and still one other was ushered in by wheelchair.....but they came.....they most certainly came.  As I handed out the programs, each of them smiled and seemed thrilled to have the chance to peek into the life of their sweet grandchildren.  Just the mere mention of their little one's (or in some cases...older one's) name and their face would light up with enough glowing power to fill an auditorium!!  What a privilege to be a part of such a special day...........

Today was Grandparents Day at my
daughter's school.  It is one day set aside each year to honor and serve our children's grandparents.  What a pleasure to greet each of them as they arrived.  As one beautiful elderly woman came in the door of the school, we wanted to take a picture of her.  She truly was beautiful in every way, as you could sense her gentle spirit flowing freely in just the little time we talked. 

I asked this beautiful lady if it would be alright to snap a picture of her.  She quickly had this to say....."Oh no~no pictures!!  I look in the mirror and that person looking back at me is not the young person that I still feel like on the inside."  We went on to talk some more, and I discovered that she remains the same youthful spirit on the inside, but is frustrated with the "old person" that stares back at her every morning in her mirror.  You see where my thoughts are going now, don't you?  No?  Well....keep reading....

This amazing woman has been trapped by the "trapper".....of age.  Even more intriguing to me, is that we will all eventually be caught by the trapper of age...some of us sooner than others....as I can relate with some of this already....I am sighing.... 

Now, having said that, there is more than one "trapper" out there.  You might feel trapped in a relationship, a career, a habit....the list goes on and on.  The powerful answer on 'how to get out of the trap' is written down right here in this verse!!  The solution is to MOVE!  For the deer it is to run.  For the bird it is to fly.

For the elderly, the solution is to love, pray, and be a part of their children and grandchildren's life.....just like this special grandparent was doing today.  In a failing marriage?  Run to a Christian Marriage Counselor and seek help in restoring your lives.  (If physical abuse and safety are a concern for you, however, please seek help by clicking here.)  In a job you are not satisfied with?  Explore your options and the gifting that God has given you and follow your open doors, after prayer.  Chained to an unhealthy habit?  Admit it to yourself, then a trusted friend, and then commit to getting the help you need to break the cycle.   

Being "trapped" is not a good feeling.  I guess the point of this verse, in my mind, is that I'm not really trapped, I just feel like I am.  Thankfully, I do not have to act on my feelings, but on my convictions.  When I take a good honest look at my situation and pray about it, I begin to see clearly through God's perspective the changes that I need and CAN make through the power of our ressurected Savior!

Leaving you with a scripture that I read during my time with Him this morning~

I Corinthians 15:34(MSG)
Think straight.  Awaken to the holiness of life.  No more playing fast and loose with resurrection facts.  Ignorance of God is a luxury you can't afford in times like these.

There's No Time To Lose

Proverbs 6:4(MSG)
Don't procrastinate-- there's no time to lose.

Oh boy....that's in the Bible!!?  Wow....there's no way of getting around it then...I better get moving. 

In this particular verse, the writer is telling us if we've made a deal with a neighbor or a friend and it's gone bad, we need to get out of the mess we're in .......NOW!  Don't wait another day to make it right....go and clean it up; untangle yourself from the web you got caught in and run to fix it!!  That's such tangible advice.  How clear is that?  Phew!  Pretty impressive straightforward stuff. 

Now, I want to look at the second part of that verse, cuz it's always on my mind, hence the name of my blog: "Only~A~Little~While.  The part in the verse about not having any time to lose!  We reeeeeally don't have any time to mess around here.  The tragic events going on everyday all around us is proof of the urgency for action that is palpable in these words.  Think about it for a minute.  We are seeing tornadoes dropping out of the sky and tearing a path of destruction for miles around.  There have been tsunamis barreling across the ocean and crashing into land snatching up whatever is in their path and tossing it back into the sea.  Earthquakes opening up huge crevasses of earth and swallowing up entire villages.  Fires burning out of control, devouring anything or anyone who is in their wake.  Flood waters creeping toward and through entire towns sweeping property and life away.   Evil twisted minds exerting their angry violent plots onto an unsuspecting people both locally and abroad.  I am sure the list goes on and on.....unfortunately.

A call to action....but what action?  Run away?  Nope...not hardly.  Once again, the answer is in the Word of God and it's just as clear as it's ever been!  I just keep forgetting...I guess that's why He wrote it down....so I could keep reading it over and over and over again.  I close with His Words...they are powerful and true~and I'm clinging to 'em!

 Ephesians 6:10-18  
^10-12And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.
 ^13-18Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.  (Italics/bold mine.) 

The Mess

Proverbs 6:3 (MSG)
Friend, don't waste a minute, get yourself out of that mess.  You're in that man's clutches!  Go, put on a long face; act desperate.

Cold and rainy old day again today!  Not complainin'....just stating the facts. 

I've been in the spring cleaning mode for the past few weeks, although, I'm not sure you would be able to tell it if you came to my house.  I've been working on getting rid of the clutter that is hidden from the naked eye, but slowly eats away at you because you know it's there, lurking behind every closed door.  

There are shirts and shoes that no longer fit that have been squished into the back of my closet to pass on down the clothes trail. In the bathroom, I bravely open the cabinet under the sink.....only to shrink back in horror!!  I'm just wondering exactly how many travel bottles one person needs......or how many contact holders is necessary for one pair of contacts?  Do you think eight is enough....cuz....that's how many I have?  How about hair ties, barretts, head bands, and ribbons?  Does one little girl really need twelve of every color? 

In my office, I open my desk drawer to do a quick clean sweep and well....I can't hardly even get the door open cuz there are so many little scraps of important "notes" crammed in there. 
So, when I read, "Get yourself out of this mess" tonight, I had to chuckle.  I don't have to "act" desperate, because I am desperate!  I am desperate and determined to simplify my life and not be taken over by "stuff"! 

There you have it.  If you want to get out of a mess, just get busy.  One step at a time....inch by inch...it's a cinch!! 

Thanking God tonight that I have a wonderful place to live that I call home!

Shivering Out In The Cold

Proverbs 6:2(MSG)

If you've impulsively promised the shirt off your back and now find yourself shivering out in the cold,

This is my sweet puppy after a run through the winter snow....and yes....she was "shivering out in the cold".  You can see her looking at me with a longing look as though she is saying, "Let me in!"  I, of course, promptly let her in....I mean seriously, who could resist those eyes?

My personality is not impulsive.  In fact, I can be driven to analysis paralysis if I'm not careful.  Do you know what I'm talking about?  Where you look at something for so long that you become completely frozen.  That would be me.  However, I know some people with tendencies toward impulsive decision making and it certainly can get them in trouble from time to time.  I suppose each personality has it's strengths and weaknesses.

Having said all of that, it appears that in the verse tonight, there was a promise made without much thought to the various outcomes of that commitment and now the worst has happened.  The person is left with absolutely nothing!  To add injury to insult, (or is it insult to injury...hmmm?....well you know what I mean...) they are left out in the cold without anything!  What to do about that?  We will have to wait for tomorrow to find out.

Praying tonight to acquire a heart that hears the needs of people and responds with a loving and gentle spirit.  Asking the Lord for discernment in decision making.