Anthills The donut shaped mounds dotted the driveway. One could not help but see the dark dot smack dab center. Like donut holes they were with their puffy roundedness along the country road…undisturbed by rain now for many a week.
Perhaps the dryness eased the burden of the granules needing to be moved. Up and out they were pushed by the troops of ants doing their business along the gravel road. Building high rises, condos and little cities was their mode of operation.
I’ve always found anthills peaceful places where one could ponder. Perhaps like most, when younger I would lay prostrate nose to nose with those domes every so oft watching the comings and goings. Intriguing it was, and still is for that matter, although I must say I haven’t gotten quite that low down for many a decade now.
Not sure I care to admit it but it was a significant conscience builder back-in-the-day when one decided to kick a few granules back in the center hole from whence the ants were marching. I was always relieved when they resurfaced in order to reshape the landscape upon which they trod. Not a one ever arose waving angrily up at me. No, they just appeared to expect the implosion from time to time and kept their nose-to the- grind doing what they were made to do.
Speaking of which…innately they seem to know what it is they are to do, and they do it well. Changing the subject matter a bit here, I believe we, too, know what it is we were made to do. In fact, recently I came across the first questions ever asked of me theologically and it went like this.
“Who made you?” And the answer was, “God made me.” The next naturally followed like ants in a row working towards an outcome from the get-go.
“Why did God make you?” And the answer was, “To bring glory to God.”
When sharing this thought process with another of my grown children, I was challenged.
“I would word it differently, mom,” they politely answered. “I would say that we were made to be loved by God.”
As I pondered, I sorta mixed the thoughts and liked how it flowed. Our purpose in life is to bring glory to God by allowing Him to love us as children of God. If we are loved by Him, we would not want to disappoint. And just like tossing grains of sand down the opening of an anthill, when we do grieve the One who made us, we will allow Him to love us back on course.
To be the object of so much love from our creator that He created us just to be objects of His love is almost unfathomable. To bring glory to God by making it all about Him seems to work better in my mind, and funny thing is, perhaps they are not much different. Oh, one could find a great divide in almost anything but the purpose for why we were created is not necessarily where we want to end this. Why? Because the beginning is more important.
John 1:1-5,12,13 establishes this. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Yet, to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God…born of God.”
It says, “He gave the right.” He gave us the right to become children of God and children love to be loved. Have you ever noticed that? May you enjoy the process of Him loving you. Like tiny grains of sand, it all adds up as He builds within that which is needed to bring Him glory.
Amen.
