Yesterday I wrote about the lessons we can learn from God’s smallest of creatures.  As soon as I completed the article I noticed a trail of those miniature critters moving into my kitchen.  Apparently they knew that rain was coming and were taking cover.

At the same time, my husband’s plein air club was going to meet at our house to paint in the backyard.  Soon the clouds began to gather.  The first painter arrived.  A stately fellow who has been one of the original artists for two years now.  He and Paul had a cup of coffee outside as the clouds turned the sky to an ominous green color.  This fellow is a little older than Paul and was quite anxious about the pending storm.  One by one they came until all five of these determined, qualified, persistent painters began to set up their easels in various parts of the yard.

In the meantime, I was inside watching the weather forecast and following a storm that would soon descend upon our neck of the woods.  I also began setting ant traps so that the crawling creatures might disappear from sight if the artists should have to come inside for shelter from the rain.

The ant traps were working.  Soon about fifty million showed up on the window sill and the word was out.  They knew a storm was coming and they were determined to partake in their last meal.  It wasn’t long before the raindrops started to fall.  The wind picked up, the rain fell and the artists came inside.  Fortunately my house was in pretty good shape.  I had cleaned the day before.

So in they came – the ants and the artists.  There had to be a story in all this, so I decided to use this as another example of dedication, persistence, ingenuity and using the resources available.  Had the artists been at another location, they would have had no place to go, but to their cars and home.  Because they were in our backyard, they were able to paint from inside the house and use the storm time to complete what they had started.  Like the ants, they used what they had available to them.

The first man to arrive was still a bit nervous about the storm, but he found a place at the table and soon began painting.  His fears seemed to calm as he began his work.  Friendly conversation ensued and painting followed.  I was impressed to see the bond these folks had established.  In just a short time they were laughing and sharing ideas as the wind picked up even more and the rain began to pelt at the windows.  The storm raged outside, but there was a greater thing happening inside.  Friendship!

The ants have all but disappeared, but I’m sure they’ll show up again.  The artists are gone except for one.  I hope they come back too.