“Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.” (Proverbs 6:6)
For most of us, to mention ants is to bring up a very annoying subject. Especially is this the case if we are considering fire ants. These creatures cause most people to cringe. One of the fastest ways to bring a picnic to an unexpected end is to discover a fire ant hill.
But fire ants actually have several beneficial characteristics. Their tunneling and nest-building in the ground helps aerate the soil. They also eat other harmful pests like ticks, mites, chiggers, boil weevils, etc. See, fire ants are handy to have around!
But many of us learned something else fascinating about these insects from news reports covering Hurricane Harvey:
Footage of floating fire ant islands began to surface. “Rafts” of these insects have been spotted floating around the floodwaters of Houston—by the thousands!
Since they live in the ground, they are vulnerable to flooding. However, if given enough time, and if they detect something is amiss, the fire ants begin working together to create little ant rafts.
They link together, and bundle the eggs, larvae, and queen in the middle—keeping them safe!
They stay linked together and float until they bump into something dry…then they unload!
What a valuable lesson for us as brothers & sisters in Christ!
“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:1-2; cf. Rom. 15:1-3).
Let us learn from the amazing fire ant!
There is someone floating aimlessly and they need you to link them to the Savior, Jesus. They need a team. They need the Church. Link to someone and help them through their flood.
