Are You Bigger Than the Ant?

Are you bigger than the ant?

This is the question I caught myself asking my 6 year old son several weeks ago. It seems like a silly question right? Of course he is bigger than an ant. A bazillion times bigger. (And yes, bazillion is a word. I looked it up.)

So let me back this story up a bit. We were on our way home from school. I had my three kiddos plus a friend who carpools with us several times a week. I could hear the usual banter and laughter coming from the back when all of a sudden the laughter turns to full hysteria...from Caden only.

He begins screaming, "There's an ant. There's an ant." and "Kill it, kill it!" I look back and tears are streaming down his face and he is about to jump out of his seat. His poor friend just doesn't know what to do. I mean, who reacts to an ant this way?

This lasted for what seemed like forever to this momma. I'm trying to drive on the interstate and reason with an overly hysterical 6 year old over an ant. An ANT! He explains that he is so upset because ants are poisonous (a special thank you to whatever kindergartner told him this). I begin to explain that ants are not poisonous but they can bite and leave red, itchy marks. We live in Texas and fire ants are everywhere! This was probably not my best move because it only served to get him more fired up. 

At this point, I'm considering pulling the car over and hunting down this tiny terrorist when his sweet friend told me it was a black ant. Okay, now I'm almost laughing. He is about to jump out of the car over a black ant. A harmless black ant. 

I explain that black ants can't hurt him. Plus, he is bigger right? Well, before we had time to finish our conversation on how ridiculous this is, our friend killed the ant. It took the remainder of the drive home to calm him down and we have a 20 minute commute!

Now, later that night as I'm trying to retell this story to Aaron through laughter, God whispers another sweet truth to me, like He does so many times through parenting.

I am just like Caden!

How many times does such a tiny thing cause a major meltdown in my own life? How many times have I been paralyzed by my own fear, hysterical over something that cannot really cause me harm? Am I not bigger than this? Hasn't God given me His strength, power, and wisdom? Isn't our God a bazillion times bigger than any problem, fear, insecurity, or enemy we may face?

So, is there an ant in your life? Remember, you are bigger!

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 

1 Timothy 1:7