Ants and Grasshoppers

Have you ever seen the movie, ANTZ? I recently watched it and was kind of amazed at the parallel that I drew relating the ants and the grasshoppers to the world we live in today!

In this movie the ants are really hard workers and work all season long in order to lay up food for the winter months ahead when they can stay underground until spring again. The grasshoppers on the other hand, don't think they need to do anything to prepare for the winter months ahead, because they just take what they want from the ants and don't give any thought to the hard work that the ants have put into preparing enough for their own colonies to survive.

I have heard of the analogy of the ants and the grasshoppers, but didn't really relate too much to it until I really started thinking about this particular movie.

We live in a world that is full of people who are saying, why worry about setting aside a reserve of food or supplies? There will always be food available, and even if there isn't some day, we will just take it from those who have put some away.

I hear these kinds of things all of the time. People are always telling me that they feel like they don't need to worry, after all what could bring down the food chain enough that there would not be food available? We live in a thriving country, with a great economy, why worry? I kind of get to the point of feeling that if they don't want to listen to me, then I don't have time to waste on them! I know that this isn't the way we should feel, however, that is the way I feel.

Another way people (grasshoppers) respond is to tell me over and over that I am just someone that thrives off of fear and wants to make others feel that way too. Not so! We are told over and over in the scriptures that if we are prepared we shall not fear! Then we are also told in the scripture that we should watch for the signs of the times and be prepared, lest we be caught unawares, like in the parable of the Ten Virgins. Five were waiting and watching, prepared with oil in their lamps, and five procrastinated the preparations, and were caught unawares, and then when the bridegroom came, they were not permitted into the wedding, because they were not prepared.

So who are we? Are we the ants or the grasshoppers? Are we the five prepared or the five procrastinators, who think that at the last minute we will be able to run out and gather our emergency preparedness supplies, and food storage supplies?

The grasshoppers mock the ants for being such hard workers and putting up so much food. The five prepared virgins were mocked and laughed at by the five foolish, because they were prepared. But then in the end, the five foolish wanted the five prepared to share, and they could not, or they would not have been allowed in either.

We can choose to listen to those who procrastinate, we can choose to listen to those who mock or think others silly for preparing, or being “alarmists”. But reality is, in the end, we will be the ones who are sitting “comfortable” in a manner of speaking. They will be the ones who are coming to us asking for help. We just need to trust in our inner self. Listen to what we know is right. And act – work as hard and as quickly as we can to lay up enough stores, for the day will soon come that we will need those stores – if we don't already.

Don't succumb to the pressure of the grasshoppers. We are tiny ants in this big wide world of grasshoppers, but we will come out the winners in the end. So put a smile on your face, and keep moving forward. Push on, and get prepared, and then we have no need to fear.