The Ant's Burden

Friday, 29 October 2010

• The Ant's Burden

  I am standing at the kitchen sink doing dishes when I hear this little voice from down in the corner on the floor shouting - "Hey, can you help me down here?"  After close inspection of the area  from where I heard the shouting, I find an ant and he is trying to carry a piece of candy that is just way too big for him.  I lean down, and without any effort at all, pick up the piece of candy and move it for him.  No sweat!  And I don't even like ants!  But, he asked for help in that pitiful tone of voice, I couldn't help myself.
  Well, the ant signifies me (and you), and "me" signifies God in this allegory told to me by Ben in one of our "spiritual" conversations.   I have received much encouragement from Ben over the years.  I love his simple faith, but deep insights.    How easy it is to look at our "burden" and let it totally overwhelm us.  Sometimes we see it for what it is and realize that it is something we cannot handle alone.  And sometimes we think we are something we're not and can handle it all by ourselves, which tends to be me more times than not.   God looks at our "burden" and knows that, for Him, it is a cinch to remove.  All He is waiting for is for us to ask "Father, can you help me down here?", and we don't even need to use a pitiful tone of voice!  We need to realize though, that He sees the whole situation from a full perspective, or view point.  He sees the whole picture and He may see our burden in a different light than we do and have a different solution to relieving the burden.  We may believe that this burden is ruining our lives and if only it would be removed, life would be grand.  He may see that the burden is the only way to mold us into Christlikeness and won't remove it until we have changed direction.   Maybe the burden is of our own making and we need to learn self discipline and self denial.  In any situation, though, He is God, and He is a God who cares about our burdens - whatever they are - big or small - and desires to help us.  Our part is to ask for His help, fully surrender it to Him, and then have faith that He will do a good work through it all.
  Speaking of burdens........ I still have bronchitis and got awake at 3:00 coughing and decided I should just get up out of bed.  Then I thought that I really need to pay the bills and that is how I came to think of the story of the ant's burden again.  Paying bills can be a "burden" that many of us would like to be rid of, but it is not to be right now.  So, we continue to ask God for help, give Him our financial situation and trust that He will use it for His glory and our betterment (even if it means we lose everything!).   God has always been very, very faithful!  He is worthy to be trusted!  So, I should whistle while paying bills............
  
  Until next time..............