I should be working right now, but this morning I woke up to another round of ants in my kitchen. And it bothered me to no end because I’ve done everything that I can think of to get rid of them, well short of finally purchasing the one thing that I do know will take care of them. The thing is I am a clean person. I do not go to bed with dishes in the sink or a counter unwiped. Well, until last night. Yeah, you see my problem. And okay, I may be exaggerating with my above image—but just a bit.
I felt I had our recent problem under control. I had taken care of the ant issue and gotten lazy; I left a few dishes in the sink and the stovetop undetailed. It was wiped down and ‘clean’, but not to the Jeff-like clean that my wife and kids know me for. No, I do not have a disorder, I just like my home clean. Well, amidst the frustration and ant murder spree, I realized something. God spoke to my heart that it could always be worse.
One of the reasons I keep a clean house is I do not want a worse problem, like roaches. I grew up with them. I don’t want my family to have that issue. So, I’m meticulous with my cleaning and it’s why I get so frustrated when my kids do not keep a clean room. But, as I cleaned up after this last barrage, God spoke to me and said, “At least these aren’t roaches.” And I had to agree with him. This simple mess could’ve attracted them instead of the ants it did.
So, while I still hate having to clean up the rest of today from ants, I will do it joyfully, because it could always be worse. It’s how life is. We may experience life issues, but it could always be worse. We should always accept what is going on and clean up the mess, oftentimes we have made. If I had taken the time to clean up the night before, I may not have woken up to ants. Our life is filled with choices, and it is those that decide whether we have ants in our lives. Eesh, or roaches. And when we do find ourselves infested, turn to God, he is the best exterminator there is.
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” — I Thessalonians 5:16-18
Photo by James Wainscoat on Unsplash
Moments for the Heart 