On Monday, I shared a few lessons learned from an ant farm in Jocelyn’s first grade class. You can read about it HERE. But I want to share further as there is a back story to the post.

As my thoughts began to form and teach a few lessons, I asked my daughter to take a photo of the ant farm. As she entered the classroom, she noticed the spot where it had been was now empty. In a panic, she texted to say she thought the ants had been dumped.

Upon the arrival of the teacher, she learned the ants had gone home with her for the weekend, as she wanted to supply food and water to the classroom “friends”. The photos were then taken and forwarded to me.

I was shocked at how much the “work” the ants had accomplished in but a few days. The tunnels were much more developed and extensive. But there was one area which stood out above any other area … “the cemetery”.

The day I visited the classroom, Jocelyn had pointed out one small area in the bottom left hand corner where the “ants were cemetery”, aka – dead. A few had collected there and the tunnel led to nowhere.

The amazing thing now was the ants had not only been busy, but they had dug past and out of the cemetery!

Death was no longer a dead end!

Immediately I texted my discovery to my daughter, stating the ant farm was making yet another powerful life lesson right before our eyes. She quickly shot back, “Yea, don’t get stuck in the cemetery, lol.”

But the silly ants provided more powerful truths than simply that:

• God’s plans never lead to a dead end. “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised” (Hebrews 10:35, NIV). Press on. Keep going. Fight!
• Death is not the end. Jesus, in speaking with Martha at the tomb of her brother, Lazarus, says, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me will never ever die” (John 11:25-26, NLT). There is a victory in Jesus both in this life and for all eternity. Jesus is our Healer. Jesus is the Resurrection and one day will raise us all from death to victory. “Death is swallowed up in victory … But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:54, 57, NLT).

Keep your eyes and heart listening,
there are lessons to be learned every day.
Yes, even from an ant farm!

Today I am joining … Porch Stories and Let’s Have Coffee and Woman to Woman and Recharge Wednesday .