It was after dark, and I had gone outside to get the last clothes from the clothesline when I noticed that some of our chickens were still running around the yard, long past when they usually roost. Toussaint tried to shoo them inside their fence, but they jumped around, squawking and trying to get away. Toussaint picked up a chicken and examined it. Its legs were covered with soldier ants, their jaws sunk deep into the flesh! He called the two guys who were hanging out on our front porch to come and help him. Together, they caught every one of the 50-plus hens, roosters and chicks and pulled off the painful pests. Soon the ground was speckled with blood drops from the many little wounds. Our second chicken house had been empty for several weeks and was free of ants, so Toussaint and the others put the chickens in there. Then they spread wood ashes around the fence to repel the ants.

The next morning all chickens were alive, but they were visibly shaken, and some of them were limping. I kept the smallest one in a box for the day to feed him and let him rest. All our chickens are recovering, and we double check them every night and keep a bucket of ashes nearby.

Bad habits are like soldier ants. Once they grab hold of you, you can’t get rid of them. You need to let Jesus pick you up and help you. At first this might hurt, but in the end you will be free and happy.

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