It’s finally summer here in the Midwest, and all God’s people said AMEN.
I welcome the warmth and the sunshine and the wildflowers by the side of the road. But one thing makes me wish it was still cooler… I came home the other week after shopping for my husband’s Father’s Day gift. One of my littles was refusing to come inside the house, so I scooped him up (*tantrum and all*) and stepped inside, dropping my diaper bag right on the foyer floor. I glanced down to make sure I didn’t smash anything when I saw THEM.
Ants. Swarming. Scurrying. Roaming around my home like it was their own.
It was an invasion, but this girl wasn’t having it. They had made their way into my babies’ playroom, crawling on their toys, devouring leftover goldfish crackers. A few minutes later one of them bit my youngest son’s foot and that settled it. IT WAS WAR.
If I’ve written about my annual ant massacre before, I apologize. It’s a condition, and I know I’m probably a little more crazy about these stinkers than the rest of humanity. But that afternoon I spent TWO HOURS killing as many ants as I could. I moved the boys’ toys around, found their secret hiding spots and used my stellar detective skills to stalk them back to their places of entry. I used disinfectant, essential oils, ant traps and 6,000 rolls of toilet paper. I was determined to get rid of them and flush as many invaders down the toilet as I could. Meanwhile, my children stared, wondering what was wrong with their mother.
But in the midst of my madness, I realized something about ants. Are they annoying? Heck yes. Do they gross me out? For sure. Are they resilient? Without a doubt. They kept moving forward towards their goal, collecting as much food as they could, even when they saw other friends disappearing to the left and right. They didn’t care. They kept pushing on. They kept going.
These little buggers were the essence of resolve. So much so, I actually found myself wishing my grit was as strong as theirs… especially in the face of danger. You heard that right. I wished I was more like an ant. Like the ones I was trying to snuff out. The ones whose stubbornness made my job a lot more difficult. I was frustrated, but I was also impressed.
And while I am semi-embarrassed to claim ants as my teachers, God does say He uses ALL things to for the good of those who love Him and that includes my insect wars. My mind began to remember all the stories in the Bible where people were given the power to stay the course and trust God for His good promises. And then I began to think of my family and friends, how they have endured so much pain and hardships, and yet, they keep walking forward in faith. Maybe God made me the same way. Maybe He made us all with His holy grit.
God’s kids have always been persevering people.
Time and time again, we overcome obstacles and jump through rings of fire. We don’t give up without a fight and with God we never give up. When Satan throws attacks our way, we push past his aggravating antics and point him back towards the Cross. We make him remember the place of his well-deserved fall and public defeat. Jesus died to reconcile God’s children to Himself, but He also died in order to make something very clear to His enemies. He wanted to show them that nothing, not even a tombstone covering a manmade grave, could keep the Kingdom of God from prevailing. He died to show them His resurrection power and highlight all the glory that would be given to the King. He died for us, but He also died for them. He died to show them WE WIN.
In the face of fear… we win.
In the middle of chaos… we win.
In the darkness and storm… we win.
In every situation and trial, no matter how our current circumstances appear, WE WILL ALWAYS WIN. This gives us the ability to put one foot in front of the other. This gives us the opportunity to turn to God when we feel downcast or weary or scared and say, “I may not see it right now, but I know WE WIN.” His promise helps us persevere and His Spirit sustains our hearts, but His love has already made a way. Our path may not be easy, but the road is paved in sacred stone. We are walking out our victory, my friends. We are God’s triumphant… reigning… completely persevering people.
May every creature, both big and small, know who we are. May the forces of hell see what happens when the Sons and Daughters of God set their sights on heaven and claim what is rightfully ours. May our determination make the enemy’s job difficult and our resilience change the world. May we do life with purpose. May we live with holy grit.
And all God’s people said AMEN.
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frazzled and free 