ANT HILL

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Summer was finally here, and Ant Hill was a very busy place. In Ant Hill, there were more busy little ants running around than you could ever count! And they were busy doing lots of different things. Some spent every day just looking for and eating their favorite foods (like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches). Others always went to the pond, where they would swim and play all day. Other ants were busy, but did not play very much. These ants spent all of their time working very hard to make Ant Hill look bigger and prettier for all of the animals who walked by. Everything seemed so wonderful, and the ants of Ant Hill thought that the fun times of summer were never going to end.

But something very sad was also happening in Ant Hill. Most of the ants were so busy doing whatever they wanted, that they kept forgetting to pray. And many of them were no longer listening to Jesus’ voice. This was not good. Why? Because the hard time of winter was coming to Ant Hill very soon, and most of the ants were not ready.

However, there were still two little ants in Ant Hill who lived differently than the other ants. Their names were Daniel and Noah, and they were best friends. Now, Daniel and Noah loved peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, too. They were ants, of course! And ants love peanut butter and jelly. But Daniel and Noah did not spend all of their time eating and playing. They also spent a lot of time praying and listening to Jesus’ voice.

WHOOOO WILL TAKE THE NARROW PATH?

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One day, Daniel and Noah went for a walk. They and some other ants had heard about a big peanut butter and jelly sandwich that had fallen out of a picnic basket somewhere near Ant Hill. About one hundred ants were walking to the sandwich with Daniel and Noah. And Daniel and Noah had their backpacks with them. As they walked, suddenly all of the ants heard an owl start to screech with a very loud voice. The ants looked up and saw a big owl in a tree. Most of the ants just kept walking. They thought the owl was just making noise. But Daniel and Noah heard something that the other ants were not hearing. They had learned to hear Jesus’ voice, and they heard Jesus speaking through the owl. They stopped walking and listened to what the owl was saying.

“Whoooo…whoooo…whoooo will take the Narrow Path?” asked the owl. “The hard time of winter is coming. Yes, winter is coming, and whooo will take the Narrow Path to the New Jerusalem?”

“What is the Narrow Path, and what is the New Jerusalem?” asked Daniel curiously.

“The New Jerusalem is the most beautiful city in the whole, wide world. In the New Jerusalem, there are joyful angels flying around everywhere. The New Jerusalem is full of the most beautiful colors and music you could ever imagine. Everyone there is so happy. And all of your favorite foods are there, too. What are your favorite foods, little ants?”

“Chocolate!” shouted Daniel.

“Strawberries!” exclaimed Noah.

Then, together in one voice, Daniel and Noah shouted, “Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!”

“You know what,” the owl said with a smile, “in the New Jerusalem, there are peanut butter and jelly sandwiches taller than Ant Hill. “And,” he continued slowly, “in the New Jerusalem, there are even strawberries bigger…than…an elephant’s…head.