And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 (NIV)
I am on the warpath. I have ants in my entire house, and they are driving me crazy. These tiny red ants are enough to make a grown woman cry. Everywhere I turn, I see lines of little dots crisscrossing my walls and my cabinets. I can’t stand them! I spotted the first batch earlier this year. I found some dirty dishes upstairs that someone had forgotten. Ants were in them. I cleaned up the mess and thought I had taken care of the problem. I was wrong. Over time, they continue to reappear in different places, the kitchen, the bathrooms, the upstairs bedrooms, and even inside my stove. I never know where I will find them next. I first tried natural methods of removing them like boric acid and herbal sprays. Then, I moved on to ant baits and traps. Finally, I brought out the heavy duty chemicals. But, I still have ants. They seemed to increase in the rainy season. We have had torrents of rain in the last few weeks and the congregation of ants grows with every inch of rain. Interestingly, the most effective method seems to be to drown them. If you sprinkle even the least bit of water on them, they curl up and die. They are in the dishwasher in droves, but after the dishes are washed, they have tiny ant carcasses stuck to them when they come out of the machine. YUCK! Until I can figure out how to submerge my house, I will continue in my battle. It may come to hiring an exterminator. That would be cheaper than psychiatric help. Despite the creepy factor, the worst thing about these minute creatures is their ability to locate even the smallest hole in a plastic bag or a lid left slightly unsealed. I draw a slice from the loaf of bread, still nicely wrapped in its bag, only to find it crawling with ants. The cookie jar looks like an ant farm. I am almost to the point where I have a policy similar to the three-second rule of dropped food on the floor. If it only has ants on one side, then, pick them off; it is still safe to eat. I can learn a lesson from my battle with ants. As hard as I try to guard my house from them, if I am not careful, they will take over. I cannot give them even one tiny hole to crawl through. So, it is with my mind and heart. There are so many things that can make me anxious if I allow them room. Worry about my children, my future, and my family. Fears of what might be. Regrets over what has been. Like ants, they march right in, making me crazy, distracting me from the Truth. Better than the strongest pesticide ever made is the peace of God. Turn your eyes off your troubles and onto Christ. Let Him cover you with His Spirit and grant you peace.
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