Ann Farabee

By Ann Farabee

There were four of them — lined up perfectly. They were big. Really big. Each carried an oval shaped seed that almost covered their entire bodies. Their load had to be far beyond the capacity they could safely bear.

They never stopped.

I felt exhausted just watching them work.

There are 10,000,000,000,000,000 of them in the world.

Proverbs 6:6 says, “Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways and be wise.”

Go. Consider. Be wise. A simple concept.

But that load — it seemed so heavy for them. I wanted to reach down, take the seed off the back of the one was struggling, and take it to his anthill for him.

*Go to the ant, you sluggard. This means sluggards should find some ants to observe. A sluggard may be lazy, lack drive, irresponsible, sluggish, have no vision, make excuses, or take the easy way out.

Just to be clear, one who may have been sitting on the porch, rocking in a rocking chair, drinking a glass of tea, and watching ants at work, would not be considered a sluggard.

• Consider its ways. To consider means to think carefully about. So, I began to think carefully about the ants I was watching.

• And be wise. Solomon — who was a wise man — wrote these words. It means if we think carefully about the ways of the ant, we will be wise — and not sluggards.

Proverbs 6:7-8 says, “She has no guide, no overseer, or ruler. She provides her meat in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.”

I like this teaching strategy used by Solomon — for he says to consider the ways of the ant, and then goes on to tell what those ways are. I think he was specific because he knew those reading his words may be sluggish in their ant observation.

• It has no guide. The word “guide” can mean the one who shows the way or one who is the commander. There is no ant with that role. They all work together. If the load of one gets too heavy, they unite to assist.

• It has no overseer. An overseer is the taskmaster — one who supervises or checks to see if the others are working. Ants independently work, but are guided instinctively to add to the common good.

• It has no ruler. A ruler is one who has dominion over another. Ant colonies are thought of as a single organism, and the individual ants are limbs of it.

• Yet, it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.

They find ways to meet their needs and make preparation for the future.

The ant? Really?

Inspirational for us?

Their abilities and actions are exemplary.

Such a tiny insect with a great lesson.

God’s ways never cease to amaze me.

Admit it. Ants are impressive.

How much more should we be?

God’s word speaks — every time.

If — we can be still long enough to hear it.

Try some porch sitting. It worked for me.

I will leave you with a few questions to ponder:

Why was the baby ant confused? His uncles were ants.

What is the biggest ant? The eleph-ant.

If ants are so busy, how do they find time to go to picnics?

By Ann Farabee

By Ann Farabee

“Fireworks! Fireworks!” she screamed, as I pulled up to the intersection. There it was — the source of her excitement — a seasonal fireworks store set up under a tent. My four-year-old granddaughter continued excitedly, with her arms flailing expressively around in the air, “We will have fireworks! They will go way up in the sky! There are lots of colors! They are loud, but they are so pretty! We can go on a picnic and play at the park and sing songs and wave the flag around! I’m so ‘cited!”

I have to admit that the fireworks store looked pretty festive, although without her in the car, my not-so-rosy perspective would probably have been that the store could be creating traffic problems at that intersection for the next week.

The 4th of July has been low on my list of holidays in recent years. It sure has never stirred the emotion in me that I sensed in the voice of a four-year-old.

But, since she was so ‘cited, I thought that perhaps I should bolster my own personal joy pertaining to the event:

On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress voted for independence. On July 4, 1776, delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, as drafted by Thomas Jefferson.

John Adams wanted July 2 to be recognized as the holiday. He wrote a letter to his wife, Abigail, stating that in the future, July 2 will be celebrated by succeeding generations. He mentioned parades, games, bells, and illuminations.

The next year on July 4, 1777, there were fireworks in Philadelphia, along with a 13-gun salute in honor of the 13 colonies. The local newspaper stated that the city was beautifully illuminated.

And perhaps somewhere that day, a four-year-old described it this way, “They went way up in the sky! There were lots of colors! They were loud, but were so pretty!”

John? Were you ‘cited on that day? I think you were. I can tell from that beautiful description in the letter to Abigail. Also, you didn’t even want to wait until the 4th to celebrate, since you were in favor of celebrating on July 2. Freedom mattered to you, and to the others.

Thomas? Did you have any idea of the magnitude of that vote? Did you have any idea how fervently we would feel that freedom 244 years later? I believe he was thinking of us when he said this, “I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.”

Both John and Thomas died on July 4, 1826 — the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

How about you, Betsy Ross? You made American flags for over 50 years. How did that feel? When you worked on the sewing of our flag, did you have any idea that centuries later, we would connect your name with our flag? I think you probably waved each flag around a few times, prior to handing it over the the new owner.

How about you, Liberty Bell? Ringing in at a weight of 2,080 pounds, and moving forward with a crack from when you were being tested. You did not ring on July 4, 1776, but rang four days later, on July 8, 1776, to celebrate the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence. Bearing these words from Leviticus 25:10, “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof,” surely must bring tears to the eyes of some of the over one million a year who come to visit you.

Oh, John, Thomas, Betsy, and Liberty Bell — I cannot even imagine the patriotism and pride felt during this time in our history.

It is so special — that maybe our celebration of freedom should last from July 2-July 8!

Or even better — 365 days a year!

We have so much to do! Fireworks! Picnics! Play at the park! Sing songs! Wave the flag around! Parades! Games! Bells! Illuminations!

Are you ‘cited?

Enjoy!

May God bless America — land that we love.

By Ann Farabee

By Ann Farabee

Sometimes, going to the emergency room is our only choice. As I sat, I sensed a feeling of helplessness and hopelessness in the great crowd of people. Some slept in chairs. Some were covered from head to toe in blankets. Most were in obvious pain.

But I mostly remember the one who cried, “Help me! Please!” It was haunting and the begging for help was non-stop. Those in the waiting room tried to ignore it, but one person finally had all she could take and yelled out, “Will you stop?” He was silent for a second, but then the cry for help started again, and grew even louder.

Later, as someone called out his name, his relief was obvious. He cast away his blanket. He rose. He went to receive help.

I am not sure what happened next, but I imagine he was asked, “What can I do to help you?” I am sure he told them his need. And since I saw him leaving the hospital an hour later, I would imagine they had met his need — and told him to go home.

He had come to the emergency room. He cried out for help. Help came.

In Mark 10:46-52, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, was in a crowd with a great number of people. He heard there was one who could help. He cried, “Jesus, have mercy on me!” The crowd yelled at him to stop, but he cried even louder, “Jesus, have mercy on me!”

Jesus called for him. Bartimaeus cast away his garment. He rose. He went. When Jesus asked what he could do for him, he asked to receive his sight. Jesus told him to go his way — his faith had made him whole.

Both men — the man in the waiting room and Bartimaeus — had gone to their emergency room in a time of desperation to beg for help.

In desperate and helpless times, scheduling an appointment for later is not good enough — our need for help is immediate. That is when we go to our emergency room, and beg, “Help me, please! Jesus, have mercy on me!”

The emergency room prayer is a sincere, short, heartfelt prayer that cries out for help from our heavenly father. It is a prayer that expresses our faith in God, as we ask him to deliver us from trouble. It often comes at a time that we feel we cannot even pray, for helplessness and hopelessness have overwhelmed. The emergency room prayer has few words — but many tears.

Have you been there? Yeah, me too. We have all been in our emergency room, and needed our emergency room prayer. God hears it. God holds it dear to his heart. God wants us to pray it.

Psalm 50:15 says, “Call upon me in the day of trouble. I will deliver thee.”

By Ann Farabee

By Ann Farabee

Do you remember learning how to ride a bike? Me, too. I balanced myself for a second — and my mother let go. I kept going, the wind in my face, completely free. But the driveway was about to end, my bike began to wobble, and fear set in. The crash was coming. That is when I realized I had been followed by my mother — the entire 10 seconds. She grabbed the bike just in the nick of time to keep me from falling.

I remember my little ones learning to walk, as I followed along behind them, hunched over, leaning down toward them in order to catch them if they fell.

I remember my children a few years later, walking excitedly around an amusement park, becoming oblivious to the fact that they needed to stay with me. When they realized they had walked away from me, they looked back, fearful that they were lost. But, I had been following them the entire time.

These were special times — my mother following me — and me following my children.

But they pale in comparison to the promise of being followed in Psalm 23:6.

For it says:

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.

Just for us — I am going to break the verse down, so we can savor every ounce of it:

Surely — surely means we are believing with assurance and confidence that what is being said is true. How in the world could anyone doubt it?

Goodness — God is not only good, but is good to us. He helps us avoid evil. He helps us when we begin to wobble or fall, and supports us when problems arise. He surrounds us withgoodness.

And — not only is there goodness, but there is goodness and mercy. And joins them to let us know we can have both.

Mercy — mercy is compassion and forgiveness. It delivers us. It comforts us. It restores us. Our sin is not greater than God’s mercy. Does it ever run out? No, it is new every morning.

Shall — shall means it is inevitable that it will happen.

Follow — when one follows someone, that means they travel behind them, run after them, or pursue them. Goodness and mercy are following us.

Me — me means me — and you.

All the days of my life — all means all — in all the days — and in all the seasons — of our lives.

God sends goodness and mercy to follow us — because we are his children.

Being followed by goodness.

Being followed by mercy.

For how long?

All the days of our lives.

That’s a promise we can cling to.

By Ann Farabee

By Ann Farabee

A good talking to?

The sixth-grader was cornered. The parent-teacher conference had reached its conclusion, and truth had come out. He had been quite slack at school — and his grades were proving it. As they were leaving, his dad said, “He will be getting a good talking to when we get home.”

I have thought those words.

I have heard those words. 

I have said those words.

A ‘good talking to’ is an idiom that means a stern lecture or scolding.

An example is when I was a teenager, and my mother would say, “Get that chip off your shoulder.” I knew there was no actual need to look on my shoulder for a chip, but I got her point.

Sometimes, we may have to give ourselves a good talking to if:

• Our joy has not felt joyful.

1 Peter 1:8 says that though we have not seen him, we love him. We believe in him. We rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.  

Our joy is inexpressible and glorious. Joy is the kind of happiness that does not depend on what happens. 

• Our compassion has not felt compassionate.

Matthew 14:14 says that Jesus went forth, saw a great multitude, and moved with compassion toward them. Jesus went. Jesus saw. Jesus moved. How? With compassion. Where? Toward them.

 We go. We see the multitude. We need to move — with compassion — toward them. Compassion is passion with a heart. It is about giving all you’ve got.

• Our words have not been sweet.

Ecclesiastes 5:2 says to let our words be few. Proverbs 16:24 says that pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweet to our soul, and health to our bones. 

Words can encourage. Words can destroy. Choose them carefully. Talk less. Use pleasant words when we do.

• Our labor has become laborious.

Ecclesiastes 5:18 says that it is good and pleasant for us to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all our labor. Verse 19 says we are to rejoice in our labor. It is a gift from God.

Enjoy our labor. Rejoice in it. It is a gift.

The ‘good talking to’ between the dad and his son may — or may not — have brought great results. My mother’s warning about the chip on my shoulder may — or may not — have brought great results. But, being talked to from God’s word always brings great results.

Ready for action?

Write this down:

Have joy.

Have compassion.

Use sweet words.

Rejoice in labor.

Let’s carry it with us as a reminder.

We never know when we may need to give ourselves a good talking to. 

By Ann Farabee