Have you heard of the Ant on a Rembrandt?

I hadn't either. I was having blood drawn the other day. It was kind of interesting because it was someone I knew drawing the blood. This was a first. We were talking about life and I began to share how I was struggling with depression. If you know me you know this has been a part of my past but it has been rearing its ugly head again. It's been over a year since I have struggled with depression. But overwhelmed by life I began to take a nose dive. I hadn't been eating, I hadn't been sleeping, and I wouldn't even think of looking to GOD. Why because I thought I could handle it all on my own. To be honest it seemed like no one cared and I felt alone. Not only because of my own isolation, but because I am sure people don't understand. Yes I am Stubborn!

Anyway back to my story, she began to share a story that had been shared with her. A story about how an Ant could travel across a Rembrandt painting and never see its true beauty. An Ant only sees the color it is near the reds, browns, blues, yellows. It will never see all the colors together to see the full picture. I think back to the days I lived at home and there was a bad fire the smoke was so bad it made everything a dreary gray/brown color. It was sad all you could think about was the heat and the fire that was causing so much devastation for wildlife. Then I flash forward to living in Maine and watching the snow fall, the flurries were something I will never forget. A true picture of beauty. The beautiful sunsets here in Florida are pretty much breath taking any time of year. All these things could not be seen in the same day or the same time period. Time takes us places and teaches us life lessons. Maybe there is nothing to be learned from the above sights but I began to understand her story of the Ant on the Rembrandt.

I have lived in Florida all my life and went to the beach at least once ever summer. I always dreamed of finding a sharks tooth. That needle in a haystack, that only trained eyes usually find. Today I felt like God was calling me to the beach. I felt that I needed to hear the rush of the waves, have salt water splash in my face, and to WALK. As he has been telling me a lot lately. So I walked and I walked. I was bound and determined to find that Sharks Tooth. My youngest daughter began to question what I was doing as my was head was down and my eyes were looking to the sand. I shared with her how long I had looked for sharks teeth. So she began to look with me and it was precious time we spent together. I wanted to find one so bad. I told myself, quietly of course "today is my day, I am going to find a sharks tooth!" Well after about 20 minutes of looking, I asked for help! "God please help me find a sharks tooth." It seems so silly, doesn't it?

 Psalm 37:4 Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

A few steps later, a few seconds later I had it! It was there staring at me a if it had eyes! As if it were there among a million of them and I had my choice. I was so elated with JOY, and I praised him. I humbly, cried. Something to simple meant so much to me. IT was my Ant on the Rembrandt. Something I had searched for, for all those years was right there waiting for me all I had to do was ask. Some doubters may read this and think oh you just had a lucky day or Oh I find those all the time its not that hard. Well all I can say is for me God was waiting for the perfect time. He waited for me to ask for his help. Then it became a humble reminder that he is there for me through every step of my life. Through the dark times, through the happy times. Through the rough waves and through the gentle ones. He is my rock, and I know that evil can not hide from him.

 Ecclesiastes 12:14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.

My focus needs to remain on the good things he has brought to my life and not the evil. God will handle the evil. My life lessons are going to make me stronger and even though these rough spots my vision got cloudy, my sight was refocused today. Thankfully my God never gives up on me. His love endures forever and day by day he makes me stronger, mentally, physically, and spiritually.