Good Morning Brown Clee!

Yesterday we reminded ourselves of the importance of self-control – especially if we want to be the best person we can be!  We also learnt how we all have control over our attitude, our words, our actions, our manners and our effort – and that ultimately it is up to us to make the right choice at the right time.  We also considered how sometimes our choices might affect other people – so being able to have self control is really important in order to be team-spirited.

This morning I want us to think about ants!  Ants are tiny insects, that can bite and make our skin tickle when they run over us.  If you were to observe ants, you would see that they always seem to be scurrying about – they don’t stop to rest.  That’s probably where the phrase “ants in your pants” comes from!  Have you ever been described as having ants in your pants – what do you think it means?….

…..yes, that you’re just like an ant, fidgety and restless and never still!

But not only are ants fidgety and restless, they are also amazing team players with great strength – which we could learn a lot from.  The Bible even tells us to learn from ants – in the Book of Proverbs verse 6, it says:”

Go to the ant, you sluggard;
Consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander, no overseer or ruler.
Yet it stores its provisions in summer
And gathers its food at harvest.

Have a watch of this video and think about the behaviour of the ants….what can we learn from them….

What did you think?  What good traits do ants teach us?   I think that…

Ants are very hardworking; (they are never lazy. As a result, ants never go hungry.)
Ants are strong. They can lift 20 times their own body weight. That’s like a seven-year-old picking up a car!
Ants are self-motivated. They don’t need a boss standing over them, telling them what to do. They don’t complain about how small they are and how big the task is.
Ants are good at planning and organising. They know that they must plan ahead. They are wise enough to know that there will be times and seasons when it will be difficult to go out looking for food or building ant cities, so they store up food and share it out when it is needed.
Ants are team-workers who work for the common good. Ants know that they can accomplish more by working together than by working alone.
Ants are persistent; they keep going. If an ant mound is knocked down, the ants will come together and rebuild it. They don’t give up.

So we can learn a lot from the little tiny ant – and today’s message is that we all need to be more like an ant – to show team spirit in all that we do, so that we can all achieve!  Here’s another video showing how we can be stronger when we work together – just like ants

Prayer of the Day

Dear God,
Sometimes, life is full of happy things, but sometimes, life is difficult.
Thank you for our friends who share things with us and help us.
Thank you that wherever we are and whatever we are doing,
You are always there for us and you are always ready to listen.
Amen.