The ants are back. This time with a vengeance. A couple of months ago we had some ants on the counters in our kitchen. In a climate filled with all kinds of creepy crawlies, it could be much worse. The last time they appeared our exterminator came over, and in a matter of a day or two they were gone. But now they have come back. And it’s more than I’ve ever seen inside of a house. It’s really not good.
But our trusty exterminator has been called. I have every confidence that he’ll once again take care of it all. But in the mean time it’s been disruptive. We’ve had to spend time killing ants. Our cooking has been done to maneuver around those little buggers. We can’t wait until they are once again gone. They’re not really icky or gross. They’re just annoying.
These pests may be annoying to us, but they’re only trying to get their job done. They all seem to be carrying something. They’ve got some kind of project going. As they do so:
- they are persistent, and
- they are disruptive.
Sounds like a pretty good lesson in productivity and growth, doesn’t it? If you’re trying to make a ruckus in ministry or in the marketplace, you could do worse than to:
- be persistent, and
- be disruptive.
Those ants don’t quit. They just keep coming back. They will not be deterred. They keep going. Even when their mates go down the work continues. Nothing will hold them back (except maybe The Exterminator).
They’re also disruptive. They have our attention. We can’t seem to get around them. They are most definitely noticed.
Here’s your assignment for today:
- Be persistent, and
- Be disruptive.
In other words, keep going. Whatever it is you’re working on, it’s worth it. Someone’s going to benefit. If another person doesn’t, you most certainly will just by virtue of the work you’re putting in.
And be disruptive. Do something to draw attention to your important work. There are all kinds of tools these days to do just that. Just one example: Facebook Live. It jolts people into paying attention. They are naturally attracted to video. They can’t look away. I’m sure you can come up with other ideas.
An ant never says, “I can’t.” Why should you?
What do persistence and disruption look like to you?
I just laid out some ant poison in our house. Maybe they’re related.