June 4, 2002, E-Wire contributor, Oswestry, UK

The Ant and the contact Lens

We recently heard the true story of a young woman in America who was invited to go rock climbing. Although she was scared to death, she went with her group to a tremendous granite cliff. In spite of her fear, she put on all the equipment, took hold on the rope, and started up the face of the rock. Eventually, she got on a ledge where she could take a breather. As she was hanging on there, the safety rope snapped against her eye and knocked out a contact lens. She looked and looked and looked, hoping it had landed on the ledge, but it wasn’t there. Here she was, far from her home, her sight now blurry. She was desperate and began to get upset, so she prayed to the Lord to help her find it. When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but there was no contact lens to be found. She sat down, despondent, with the rest of the party, and she thought, “Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is. Please help me”. Finally, they walked down the trail to the bottom, where there was a new party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out, “ Hey , you guys! Any body lose a contact lens ?” Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw it ? An ant was moving slowly across the face of the rock, carrying it. The young woman’s father is a cartoonist. When she told him the incredible story of the ant, the prayer and the contact lens, he drew a picture of an ant lugging that contact lens with the words, “ Lord, I don’t know why you want me to carry this thing. I can’t eat it and it’s awfully heavy. But if this is what you want me to do, I’ll carry it for you.” At some time, all of us ask , “ Lord, I don’t know why You want me to carry this load. I can see no good in it and it’s awfully heavy. But, if You want me to carry it, I will.” God does call us to share one another’s burdens ( Galatians Chapter 6 verse 2 ) , but at the same time He gives us strength to do it. “ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me .” ( Philippians chapter 4 verse 13) This item has been reproduced by permission of the Clark family who are working with Operation Mobilisation at the Quinta Oswestry