Floating Fire Ants

Living Hope Member, Justin Moorman, shared these words with me this week. I thought there were so good and applicable that I asked him for permission to pass them on to you. I pray this speaks to you as it did me.  Thank you, Justin!

"I once did a science lesson with my students about fire ants.  They live in some very dry places.  Whenever there is a downpour in areas like that, it actually causes what is the equivalent of a massive flood for a fire ant, because the ground simply can't absorb the water quick enough.  If a single fire ant is trapped out by itself when this happens, that individual ant will unfortunately drown.  What is unbelievable, though, is what happens to the ants that are a with the colony.  Instead of setting up shop in their hill, digging in and hopping for the best, they come to the surface to face the flood.  But they don't drown.  They lock legs, hold on to each other with their mouths, and refuse to let go.  And, contrary to what seems to make sense, that colony of fire ants floats.  They float right on top of the flood, in the middle of the downpour, and flow wherever the current takes them.  They are in it together.  Once the flood is over, and the waters finally soak into the ground, the fire ants do another cool thing.  They don't start marching back to their old hill.  The let go of each other, and set up shop right where those flood waters carried them.  That place is their new home. 

Dr. Cubie ( A Professor Justin and I both had at Mount Vernon Nazarene University), I believe, once said to me that God's love is bigger and deeper and wider than any ocean we could ever imagine.  That sounds awesome, but what he said next really made me think.  He said, "And, if you've ever heard stories of people stranded in the ocean alone, you know it is a terrifying experience."  You know all too well that you can't be in God's love on your own; it is way too overwhelming.  You can't be in that kind of flood by yourself, because you'd never make it.  It's sad to leave what you've known; what is your home.  And believe me, it's sad for us to have you leave.  But you're not the fire ant that got caught away from the colony, and neither is Living Hope Church.  You have a whole group of ants that are going to keep you afloat, and keep each other afloat, as God's terrifying, awesome love washes over us during this next step.  And, while we won't be physically floating with you up to Canton, we're absolutely all there with you, praying for his waters to guide you and your family."