Sandstorm

Think about the trials and tribulations in your life. Have they looked like this? Imagine wandering this desert on a day like above...

Two Beautiful Girls

Hi Hillside family! Watch out, here we come! Little girls rock...

-Ainsley and Bella

The Ant and Doug at Church

Here we were on our knees at church Sunday morning at 8:45 AM. Six of us were in the basement praying. Prayer this morning was especially exciting as the Holy Spirit had waited for our arrival and prepared a place for us. (Where have I heard that before?) Anyway, the Spirit was moving and everything was perfect when I heard the musicians upstairs doing their thing. As one of us got up and went to close the door at one end of the basement I got up and went to the other end to do the same. When I returned to my chair, I got back down on my knees and started to relax. Just before I closed my eyes I noticed an ant, a very small ant, meandering around doing what ants do. My first reaction was to reach down and crush him. That is what this ant deserved you know. But first I wanted to look for the other 20 million of them so I could search out the source and eliminate this intrusion. No way was this species going to upset our religious space. I did have shorts on you see. But much to my surprise, this ant was totally alone. I looked around and noticed that he was out in the middle of a vast sea of concrete. Miles from his home I guessed. Pretty brave also. Why this ant was not afraid of anything. I thought this must be the way Our Lord wants us to feel. Here I am towering over this ant and he had the gall to ignore me, and the horse I rode in on. All he was interested in was his duty. His job. His appointed rounds. All of a sudden God says: Not unlike you my son. A huge unfriendly world with an enemy that is just waiting to take you out. I thanked God for his protection and his love. It was a fine lesson for me. I closed my eyes and started listening to the prayers again when my curiosity got the best of me. I opened my eyes and there he was in crushing distance with an old, old piece of food that was twice his size. He was trying to push it and could not. So he started pulling but only got about a foot and stopped. I thought about how God helps us to tackle major obstacles and that with His strength, anything is possible. (Where have I heard that before?) So the ant stopped for a couple seconds and just looked at the mountain. I figured he was praying. That’s what I supposed to be doing!!! Hadn’t heard a word in at least five minutes. Didn’t feel guilty though. I am human you see. I even reached down while the ant was praying and tried to break up the morsel, so it could be better handled by him. Oh no, this whatever it used to be was petrified and I had no utensils to help in this quest. So I put it back where he could find it again. He walked around it a couple times and even tried to take hold again but knew it was without possibilities so he just took off. I realized that he had a treasure only he knew about and was rushing off to get his buddies so they could unite in this unimaginable project together. Then it occurred to me that God wants us to do the same. To share our treasures with each other and our hurdles. Our friends in Christ, in our church, are all here for each other. I started running through my mind the people I sit and worship with each Sunday and could think of no one who would not come to my aid if called, and I knew I would do the same. What a wonderful feeling that was. All those people loving little old me. And me having so many people to love and call friends. Just like Jesus does us. But wait!!!!! How in the world can this very, very small ant get ALL THE WAY BACK to wherever he came from? I remembered that ants leave a scent they can follow back when they feel it is time to go home. And it occurred to me that the Holy Spirit has placed Jesus in front of us so when we need help or love, or anything at all, we can just follow Him back to where He can care for us and help us with our needs. Feeling content and having been taught a Divine Lesson, I thanked God and returned to my prayer group. I have to admit peeking one more time for my Angel Unaware Ant but he was off doing what his creator had called him to do. My last thought was to thank God for not having the same impulse that I did when I first saw the ant. I imagined His thumb being very large. That is just what I deserve you know!! His Mercies endure forever!! (Where have I heard that before?)

Doug Kemp