I just watched this ant making its way across my backyard patio.
I had come out to greet Sunday’s beautiful morn for a breath
of its
warm fresh air
and dip my feet in Mother’s peace in the valley.
I sat shadowed by the wings of trees, serenaded by the chirping birds,
watch butterflies dance in the breeze,
caught the faint scent of earth flowering round and about…
when I spotted this ant creeping across the floor
with a piece of
something in its grasp
It was making an easy ramble over the smooth concrete surface.
I figured it was a worker taking the item to the colony…
therefore a
female, as all ant workers are female.
She left the smooth surface and began her trek through the grass.
I became engrossed in watching her and wondering where she was headed…
Where was her destination.
Her movement through the grassy terrain was soon no longer effortless
nor easy to navigate.
The way was patchy, uneven in places, small sticks, fallen tree flora,
and brush were scattered in pockets on the ground,
small weeds grew in and around the grass shoots.
As I watched her progress, I was floored at the maneuvering necessary
to make her way forward.
Sometimes she went up a shoot of grass but had to go back down
to the
ground floor because it led nowhere. This happened a few
times.
As I watched her climbing up another nowhere road,
I wanted to tell her
it was fruitless.
She would just have go down again, and find another route.
She fumbled and tripped, and juddered about but continued t
o make her
way through and across,
undaunted it seemed.
I didn’t know if her destination was below ground, under a rock, or far
afield,
but I was absorbed in the undertaking…
inching my chair up to keep a close eye and not lose sight of her
progress.
By the way, she was not a “tiny” ant like you might see creep into the
kitchen.
She was the larger quarter-inch black ant.
So, looking close, I could see her movements easily.
Sometimes she got caught up in a rugged stretch and had to struggle
some
to get her bearing and keep moving on.
A few time she seemed to rest a minute.
At which time I wondered if she had reached her post,
but she would soon continue to make her way…
It was her nature I thought to myself…to keep going no matter the
difficulty.
I thought it was quite remarkable… unbelievable.
I had now watched her trek across several feet of yard space…
sometimes
moving very slowly,
working through the barriers of the rough patches…
which would eventually lead
to a wooded area.
I thought perhaps this was where she was headed.
After about a half hour or so intently observing,
when the struggle
seemed particularly difficult,
I thought perhaps I should help her along, prod her with a stick or
something,
but I choose not to interfere.
After all I didn’t know where she was headed.
Sometimes her route was straight-forward, sometimes slightly zig-zagged.
I thought about the built-in instincts she inhabited… to endure the
challenge,
an inbred determination, to
make it over the terrain.
She was all alone… no helper ant to assist with the load,
none
alongside to boost her up.
As I sat watching, thoughts went to man’s challenges, my own even,
falling
and rising, wanting to give up, the long time spent trying to forge ahead…
to
endure, persist, persevere.
I thought it might seem absurd if someone saw me sitting here
watching
an ant for this length of time, I can’t even calculate now.
But I couldn’t stop until I saw her errand complete, as she moved from the
grass
over into the underbrush of trees - on to an even more rugged course
of
winter leaves and downed tree limbs -
still holding on to the her precious package… fulfilling her assignment
she had labored to carry,
I’m assuming, to wherever it was her intent and purpose .
Soon she was completely out of sight.
I was so moved by her efforts, her tenacious, steadfast efforts to make
her way
in the midst of the trials she faced.
I couldn’t leave this seating place without telling her inspiring
story.
And to make this note of thanks to the
indwelling Holy Spirit within
Who teaches us through the smallest of things.
“Do not despise the day of small
things…” (Zechariah 4)
Hope it adds to your day.
