"Thanking God for Them There Ants!"

Ants...ants...what about them pesky little ants? Now they are one of God's little creatures that I just don't understand their purpose and why He made them at all. Yep, in my book they are right up there with mosquitos, though in fact I think I hate them blood sucking insects worse than I do ants, but ants are just down right annoying as well. Now don't take me wrong, their pure physical strength is quite astounding and a miracle all in their own right and may be just may be we are to look at those creatures as if they are an example of strength; but still to me they are only viewed as pests that must die!

As my middle child sat in time out the other day, which is by the front door, her fear of insects took over as her screams were heard through-out our small little house. She was screaming about the ants. Well, expecting only to see one as often times that is what is enough to set my little girl off, she was actually surrounded by six of them instead. Scot, her daddy and my husband, came to the rescue and pulled her to safety, but it was in this moment that Scot and I realized that we were starting to show signs of an ant "occupation" in our house, mainly with in the coat closet where our recycables sit.

Ever since, as each day has passed, we have noticed more and more of those pesky lil' critters--the ants! In fact, as I sat outside on the front step with my infant son in my arms and watched my girls play, I realized how nasty little ants can be and quickly sympathized with my middle daughter's fears. Ants...ants are mean! They were biting me! I must have been bit by those little guys 4 to 5 times--enough times anyways to be concerned for my infant son, so I stood up the remaining time as the girls played with their water guns. Remarking to Scot just before dinner of my encounter with the ants, Scot immediately found ant spray and started the "declaration of war" against the ants.

The next morning as I was placing another item in our recycling bin, I discovered that ants had found the empty container of OJ. So in frustration and griping in toe, I took the bottle outside and began spraying it with the ant spray. After raging war there, I decided to spray the front step and all around our front door. As I began to rage war on the ants, I noticed something dark coming at me. It was larger than the ants and there was red...RED...OH NO RED--a familiar red hour-glass on it's body! HA! I had unknowingly declared war on a raging black widow spider, a poisoness bug. I turned the ant spray directly on to it and just about finished the bottle on this one nasty spider. After realizing that the spider was dead, I looked to see where it came from and was horrified. It's web was right by the front door and there sitting in the web looked like an egg sack. I destoyed the egg sack and completely obliverated (totally don't know if I spelt that right) the spider to a pulp.

We had just been outside the day before. And as the ants were biting, a bigger threat to me and my three children, was just behind me and right by the door. I immediately went from hating the ants to thanking God for them! Later that morning as I went into the kitchen, I was quickly faced with another ant who was carrying something upon its back (food none-the-less) but this time as I quickly went to strike it down, I thanked God for the current invasion.

I was also reminded that I have been learning to thank God in everything lately. For those who know me, constant worry is a HUGE problem of mine and I am often too consumed with dread when the "unwanted" or "unexpected" arise. I easily thank God when things are going right or most importantly how I wish them to be; but if it is not as I want, grumbling is what leads my thoughts. As recent events have occurred, I have learned to be thankful in anything and everything. And as I may still have relaspes here and there, I am light years from where I was just a few months ago.

Although I have gone through some rough times in my past, such as trying to get pregnant with my eldest daughter, in retrospect, my time of 'trying' was nothing compared to other women I know, and I only really came away from that with compassion for those who long to be a wife and/or mother. It has only been recently, through my eldest daughter's battle with a severe case of pneumonia and my son's kidney problems that I have learned to be thankful in everything. God's plans may not be my plans and I may not always like His plans but they are His plans just the same and we can choose to learn from them and embrace them so to speak or live a discouraging life trying so hard to deny them.

Reflecting on the last few months I totally see where God was working and I didn't even know it and in the end how everything came together for His good. I had to get to the point of completely giving everything to God to see it. Had to thank Him for my circumstances. As a friend of mine said once that we should thank God in everything. Even when you are cleaning the toilet. Thank God that you have a family to clean-up after. So very true. And now when I wash the dishes, my hated chore, thank God for the food He has provided and for my family who was able to partake in it.

After a friend of mine, may be jokingly, mentioned to me about blogging as a response to my long mass email updates I used to produce during my children's medical problems, I started to think about blogging seriously. Well after much prayer and consideration, and after my experience with the ants, I decided "why not go for it" and so here I am...