Sorting through some old papers I had stashed away, today I came upon this story I had printed out from an email I received on October 11, 2004. The original source for the story is the book Keep A Quiet Heart by Elisabeth Elliot, published in 1995. It became attributed to Josh and Karen Zarandona when they passed it on in an email.
Supposedly, the original story came to Ms. Elliot from a Brenda Foltz, of Minnesota. I found the story just as thought provoking as I did in October of 2004. I really wish that I were writing this story as an illustration of a moment and a revelation that changed my life. Unfortunately, having a penchant for truth, I’ll confess that did not happen. I wish it had.
Sometimes I need to be reminded – over and over – of the lessons I need to learn in life. I share this with you in that spirit. I suppose most of you may have seen this in the past, but perhaps a few of you, like me, could enjoy it again.
The Ant and the Contact Lens
Brenda was a young woman 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 the gear, took hold of the rope, and started up the face of that rock. Well, she got to a ledge where she could take a breather. As she was hanging on there, the safety rope snapped against Brenda’s eye and knocked out her contact lens. Well, here she is on a rock ledge, with hundreds of feet below her and hundreds of feet above her. Of course, she looked and looked and looked, hoping it had landed on the ledge, but it just wasn’t there.
Here she was, far from home, her sight now blurry. She was desperate and began to get upset, so she prayed to the Lord to help her to 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, waiting for the rest of them to make it up the face of the cliff. She looked out across range after range of mountains, thinking of that Bible verse that says, “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth.” 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. At the bottom there was a new party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out, “Hey, you guys! Anybody 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. Brenda told me that her 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 the risk of being accused of being fatalistic, I think it would probably do some of us good to occasionally say, “God, I don’t know why you 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 doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
This was originally published in the very early Treehouse days. It has been shared many times in many places. I thought now would be a good time to re-visit it.
What a lovely story and a great reminder. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
wow great story thank you !
“God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.” This is so true. I read about this in one of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s books. If we embark on a “good work” because we think our talents can be used there, it is WE who are calling ourselves and making the decision for God. But if we let Him make the decision of where to put us then it is not “our good works” but His good works in and through us.
“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or in dread of them, for the Lord, your God is the One who is going with you. He will not desert you or abandon you.” ~ Deuteronomy 31:6
There is a mighty gap between our idea of what to do and how God should bless our big idea and when God’s still small voice says “go!”
God gave you the means to do good works. The good works you do are the Treasures you bank in Heaven.
I knew a Brenda Foltz in Mn. Haven’t thought of her in many years. She was a very special young lady who had that kind of faith. It wouldn’t take much to believe it was true if it were she. Excellent story either way since we serve a God who is that personal and interested in our little lives.
His Grace is Sufficient for us every day, and He is always dealing with what we cannot, because the Cross is enough.
Agreed
Another uplifting story from the past…
The Physical Appearance Of Jesus
To Tiberius Caesar:
A young man appeared in Galilee preaching with humble unction, a new law in the Name of the God that had sent Him. At first I was apprehensive that His design was to stir up the people against the Romans, but my fears were soon dispelled. Jesus of Nazareth spoke rather as a friend of the Romans than of the Jews. One day I observed in the midst of a group of people a young man who was leaning against a tree, calmly addressing the multitude. I was told it was Jesus. This I could easily have suspected so great was the difference between Him and those who were listening to Him. His golden colored hair and beard gave to His appearance a celestial aspect. He appeared to be about 30 years of age. Never have I seen a sweeter or more serene countenance. What a contrast between Him and His hearers with their black beards and tawny complexions! Unwilling to interrupt Him by my presence, I continued my walk but signified to my secretary to join the group and listen. Later, my secretary reported that never had he seen in the works of all the philosophers anything that compared to the teachings of Jesus. He told me that Jesus was neither seditious nor rebellious, so we extended to Him our protection. He was at liberty to act, to speak, to assemble and to address the people. This unlimited freedom provoked the Jews – not the poor but the rich and powerful.
Later, I wrote to Jesus requesting an interview with Him at the Praetorium. He came. When the Nazarene made His appearance I was having my morning walk and as I faced Him my feet seemed fastened with an iron hand to the marble pavement and I trembled in every limb as a guilty culprit, though He was calm. For some time I stood admiring this extraordinary man. There was nothing in Him that was repelling, nor in His character, yet I felt awed in His presence. I elevated Him far above the philosophers and teachers of His day. All in all, He made a deep impression upon me and everyone because of His kindness, simplicity, humility and love.
He could convert water into wine; He could change death into life, disease into health; He could calm the seas, still the storms, call up fish with a silver coin in it’s mouth. I say if He could do all these things, which He did and many more, as the Jews all testify, and it was doing these things that created this enmity against Him — He was not charged with criminal offenses, nor of wrongdoing any individual in person, and all these facts are known to thousands, as well by His foes as by His friends — I am almost ready to say, as did Manlius at the cross, “Truly this was the Son of God.”
Now, noble Sovereign, this is as near the facts in the case as I can arrive.
I am your most obediant servant,
PONTIUS PILATE
———————————-
Blessing to Sundance, Menagerie, and all the Treehouse family…
Great story.
I just loved that. Thank you!
Thanks, Menagerie. 🙂
I’ve never seen this before, so thank you for posting it.
BEAUTIFUL!
I love it!
I found the newsletter from 1994 where the Brenda Foltz story first appeared – interesting to read other articles, including “sexist” charges by feminists re “Peter Rabbit” and other stories.
https://elisabethelliot.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/may-june-94.pdf
Thank you for this, and on this day.
Our Lord is so perfect in every way.
I remember this !
Enjoyed it all over again !
What a wonderful story and lesson. One we all can give by. Thank you, Menagerie.
Lots of homilies came out of this wonderful story…
Nice reminder. God can and does use all of us.
God does that for me ALL THE TIME! It makes me feel especially loved.
Me too.
I grew up thinking He didn’t really love me because I wasn’t good enough, obedient enough.
Now I see and hear Him in various ways regularly – especially when I am screwing up. The gentle reminder that His love for me is not based upon my perfection or actions.
Whew!
Thanks
That is now my most favorite quote.
As the tears drip down my cheeks 😂
God is Good All the Time 🙌🏼
Thanks Again and God Bless you, Sundance and all Treepers 🫵🙏🏼🫵
Thank you Menagerie, well timed! God Bless.
That was fantastic! I’ve never heard or read the story before, so thank you so much for posting it again, Menagerie. It just gives everyone a lift, and I’m sure it helps Sundance as well as he lifts so many burdens and finds the joy in the sadness. God bless!!
I’ve often wondered why God created ants.😊
Archived (because anything can happen)
https://archive.ph/BpqtT
Good timing, Menagerie! I will keep this in mind.
Thank you
I have been saying for years;
I have a loving GOD, that loves me unconditionally and will do anything in my best interest.
Even things I don’t understand, don’t apricate or think are F (screwed up)
Those are the first things I need to thank GOD for because they are gifts freely given to me, and until I accept them I can not see the beautiful gift I’ve been offered
Menagarie, please see if you can find that article Sundance wrote about how ingenuity motives American workers. The one about the miners trapped in a collapsed mine and how our guys recovered them. That made a tremendous impression on me and I have looked for it several times and have never been able to find it. Sundance has posted it a couple of times but for the life of me, I cannot find it. I know it’s here in the archives somewhere. It was like the one you just posted here and just as impressive.
Wow that’s so encouraging. Praise God!
So true, so true! Spiritual endurance is under examination these days. The big story the shadow-beasts don’t understand is that true-hearts are not defeated by fear, their only & perpetual device against us 🙂
First time I’ve read this story…love it. Thank you for sharing 🙂
In my view; God calls, fools and the evil ignore it, the empty ignorant do not seem to hear it albeit, along with the consciously evil, they also seem to need it the most, the wise answer it. Jut judging by the results of the human end of that pact only, God seems to prefer those that are wise and that help themselves over fools. We all live in hope that the ignorant will come to recognise their emptiness and respond to the call.
Thanks Menagerie
good god my man…you got me to tear up on a very happy day for me.
thanks sundance….my cup runneth over
Beautiful.
This story reminds me of a conversation I had with a checker at Walmart several days ago. She asked me twice how I was doing – I realized I hadn’t asked her how she was, and I felt she wanted me to and I did. She said she was helping her elderly mother, her sister recently had a stroke (so she is helping her), she herself has a husband and children at home, and she works. She said she was incredibly tired. I commiserated with her and told her this burden will pass and she is doing the right thing.
I love this story. Thank you for sharing – it’s so true.
Sundance, or anyone else, I have an honest question.
What if there is the call, and no way on earth to answer it?
For example, a woman called to be a catholic priest or something else like that? Or someone with a call to be an academic, but is rejected by the academy?
What happens to such a person?