Teeny Tiny Joy

When the boys were little, knee high and chubby hand in mine, we'd go for walks around our house.  One of my favorite parts of our walks was when we'd stop so they could explore something that caught their attention.  Very often, it involved bugs.

They loved ants.  I can still vividly recall when each of them first discovered this miniature world.  Remembering their excited and astonished faces, as they squatted down next to those hill homes, brings joy to my heart to this day.  We would sometimes sit criss-cross applesauce on the sidewalk where they discovered the ants and watch their busy lives.

Last night all those sweet memories came pouring back to me as Noah opened his mail.  A tiny tube of ants had finally arrived!

For Christmas, on a whim, we'd picked up a glow in dark ant farm looking for stocking stuffers a teenager might enjoy.  I don't know why I assumed the ants would be frozen in time within the box, but we were all a little disappointed learning it was only an empty farm that holiday morning.  With instructions in hand, I placed the order online for our tiny friends.  Weeks passed.

And more weeks.  An email arrived, letting us know it was too cold in our area and shipping was delayed.  More time passed and another email, adding more waiting time.  Finally the news arrived that the ants were marching home!  But, because Noah had a game an hour away last night, the ants were put on hold. 

Though we arrived home late, I let him prepare their farm for inhabitation.  We all hovered around the coffee table watching him gently shake them into their new home.  I chuckled to myself, thinking of the lengths I've gone to rid the house of ants each spring, yet I was now willingly allowing some to live here.  As Noah headed for the shower, I held the farm and again became absorbed into their world. 

A tiny family, each caring for the other.  Helping them grow accustomed to this unfamiliar place.  Busy, organized, each having a purpose and a plan.  Holding that glow in the dark square, I was again amazed at the beauty of life and how awesome our God is.  Joy from an ant farm.  What a gift.